


Thrown To The Wolves

by Pixel_Runner



Series: The Practicalities of Werewolves in the Modern Age [1]
Category: Original Work, cryptozoology - Fandom, werewolves - Fandom
Genre: 1810 - Present, Because Omega isn't a thing in canine packs, Bechdel Test Pass, But They're Still Werewolves, Co-Sleeping, Cuddling & Snuggling, Description of Meat Cutting, Elves Taste Like Chicken, Elves are Dicks, Fluffy Werewolves, Knitting, Multi, No beta reader, Pack Cuddles, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Politics, Past Rape/Non-con, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Sexism, Real Places I've Never Been To, Referenced Historical Events, Referenced Historical Terrorism, Slice of Life, Sorry If You Live There, Tags Will Be Changed At Whim, The Relationship is the Adventure, Wanna Beta Read For Me?, Werewolves are NOT Vegetarians, hand holding, links to recipes, not a/b/o, the dog lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-02-14 00:32:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 47,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12995913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixel_Runner/pseuds/Pixel_Runner
Summary: A Pack of Werewolves has to decide the fate of a dying woman.  The choice will affect all of them.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Italics indicate the speaker is talking in Looper Language. Just for fun, I have named this language Speak.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Optional - feel free to skip ahead to Chapter 2. This is the background, not the story.

955 AD The Battle of Tonsberg

Odin and the Asgardians successfully repel the Jotun invasion of Earth. He leaves behind the Dogs of War. Midgardians infected so that they are able to change their shape into that of beasts suitable for fighting Jotun. The first deployment is self eradicated by 1006.

1010 AD Redeployment

Subsequent changes where made to allow the infection to be spread to females, after a fashion. Unable to change their external appearance, the Yennork, are able to produce pheromones to prevent the War Dogs from viewing them as food. There are no cases of viable Yennork/War Dog offspring. Yennork are not able to interbreed with Asgardians or Midgardians. War Dogs are unable to control the change as they climax and invariably kill and eat any Midgardians they attempt to mate with. Neither Dogs nor Yennork age or become ill, they can only be killed through catastrophic injury.

The Transmission of the Gift remains a mystery to the War Dogs. Yennork are hoarded like treasure. Locked away in underground lairs and guarded against theft from other packs.

 

1250 AD - The Mass Extinction

Maive Black commits suicide. She had been chained to a wall in the Black dungeon for the past 63 years, available to any pack member who wanted her. She hung herself with her chain. Word got out and mass suicides began with 87% of the Yennork successfully committing suicide in the next five years.

Jotun raiders began making day trips to Midgard.

 

1275 - 1327 - The Second Jotun - Midgard War

Having fallen into dis-array with their distress over having lost their females, attempts to steal the remaining Yennork from other packs and massive raids on Hume villages for females, the War Dogs abandoned their posts. Jotun incursions increased in frequency and violence. Hume’s refer to this period as the Little Ice Age. This culminated in the Great Famine

In 1310, Jonathan Black rose to power and gathered the Dogs of War to drive back the Jotun. It was a long and bloody battle with mass infections in the years 1317-1319 in an attempt to convert enough Humes to successful repel the invaders. They were successful, but many were lost.

 

1335 - The Black Treaty

After many years of negotiation, Jonathon Black successful implemented a Code of Conduct for the Dogs Of War. First and foremost was an extensive guide for the appropriate treatment of Yennork. This included the death penalty for anyone found harming a Yennork. This was not just the responsibly of the pack who had the Yennork, but of any Dog who found one to be harmed. There were also provisions for Yennork to choose their own packs and discussion of pack dynamics to protect weaker members who may be friends of the pack Yennork.

Also covered was the Track and Kill Clause. It had been discovered that Dogs of War were created when Humes where bitten hard enough to break their bones. If they survived the infection and the primitive medicine of the Humes, they would turn. If they were bitten but not to the bone, they would not change, but would produce Ferals in their offspring. Ferals were generally tolerated, as long as they did not interfere with Pack Business. Each pack was responsible for any Humes they bit and everyone was responsible for making sure all Dogs of War followed the treaty.

 

1690’s - Upswing in Jotun Raids

Now well established, the Dogs of War successfully repelled many invasion attempts during this time. However the changes in the climate produced by the Jotun was noticed by the Humes.

 

1780 - North American Deployment

Additional Dogs were moved from Europe to North America to combat an Jotun incursion at New York. Jonathan Black lead the settlement himself.

Haven was originally built. The Packs first encounter Others who can Change. Ogres from around the Mediterranean Sea. One such creature Jack/George was installed as the gate Keeper at Haven. The Penthouse was promised to the Strega, Aradia and her descendants in exchange for protection for the structure.

 

1880 - Jonathan Black Turns Mary Cherny

The First Alpha Yennork comes to power. She would rule her pack until 1941 when she was vivisected in Berlin.

 

1932 - Red Monsters

The Holodomor lead to the discovery of the Dogs of War by the USSR. After several failed attempts to create their own strain of Dogs, Russia starts Project Wolfhound to raise women capable of withstanding infection with recovered teeth. It has been discovered that the males are very territorial, unpredictable, unwilling to follow orders and very hard to kill. By 1942, they successfully create 37 Yennork, who promptly defect into local packs on their first deployment. It is discovered that this can be prevented if the subjects are spayed at the time of infection.

 

1939 -1945 Discovery by The SS

During mass killings it is easier to detect creatures who can survive gassing, firing squads, starvation, and poisonings. Samples of War Dogs and, eventually, a Yennork, were collected in Nazi Germany and biological weapons, were developed. Mary Cherny’s tissue would form the basis of the N-strain Wolves. Bigger, stronger, but unable to create Yennork themselves, they are extensively hunted by the Dogs of War to this day. It maybe worth noting that they sometimes make a point of limiting their diet exclusively to Hume. This makes it harder to detect them by smell in an urban population.

 

1980 - Test Tube Puppies

Jonathan Black hires, Canadian Celeste Emerson as a carrier for his child, based on recent developments in the field of IVF. She successfully produces a son, David. Jonathan is unable to spend more than a few hours with the child at a time and Celeste agrees to raise the boy. Careful experimentation leads to the discovery that Dogs can smell the bone marrow through children’s unfused epiphyses.

 

Several other pack leaders attempt to replicate the success. Subsequent children are accidentally eaten.  Experiments are discontinued.

 

1993 - The Death of Celeste Emerson

Celeste Emerson was killed by a drunk driver on her way home from the movies. David was in the car but was found unconscious but apparently uninjured by the paramedics. He was subsequently placed in foster care as his father was declared an unfit parent. Jonathan was allowed twice weekly supervised visitation. However, there are several complaints from foster families that Mr Black makes them extremely uncomfortable. After his fifth arrest for an assortment of misdemeanours, David, along with his favourite foster sister, Nicole, is transferred to a military school in Northern Ontario for rehabilitation.

 

1994 - Infection of Nicole Schnerr

On an authorized visit, Jonathan realizes David has gone feral. He is increasingly possessive of Nicole. He complains to his father that his the warden is abusive and the children are being used for medical experimentation. David fears for Nicole’s life. Three days after Mr. Black’s visit, Nicole is attacked by a stray dog during early morning run. The bite is extensive, breaking both bones in her right forearm. She receives the best care the Canadian Military can provide, including internal fixation and attempts to minimize the signs of surgery, but the scaring is noticeable.

 

1995 - 1999 In Hiding

David Black, Nicole Schnerr, Alex and Jacob Painchaud, Wade Wilson, Samantha Beltain, Page Owen, Dan Smith, Nathan Dai, Al and Rick Campbell and Jade Xiang escape from Camp Ranoke. Anne McBride, who was originally been part of their unit, had disappeared three weeks earlier while entertaining a visiting diplomat.

 

2000 - The Hack

Nathan Dai uses the Y2K Disruption to create new back stories and identities for all remaining members of his unit. Page Owen and Jacob Painchaud were killed in action previously.

       - The Discovery

In November of 2000, Nathan Dai learns he has leukaemia.  His sister, Nicole is a good HLA match and her bone marrow is used to treat his leukaemia.  15 days later, he leaves the hospital AMA.  He is the first Dog of War who had not been bitten.  His research, along with Nicole and funded by Jonathon leads to the discovery that the infection is something like a virus that infects the stem cells in its carriers' bone marrow.  This is what allows the bones to change shape.  Jonathan infects David with his bone marrow.  David is the second Unmarked. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

####  August 28th, 2017

First day back from vacation and he had pulled the vegetable patch shift.  Great.  Dr Paul Andrews was not a fan.  It was 95% sitting on your ass and 5% not being able to do anything when the patients died.   He didn’t really rush to get to his shift.  He had been away for two weeks, but would be surprised if anything had changed.

Susan was working.  The nurse was in her forties, she was jaded and no nonsense. She no longer bothered with hair and make-up like the younger nurses. Dr Andrews knew she was very good at her job, but there wasn’t much opportunity to shine around here.  Given that most of his rounds would be talking brain death with a nurse, he preferred it when one of the cute ones was working.

“What have we got today, Susan?”

“No changed on beds two through seven.  Mrs Talbot passed away three days ago. Bed one is still empty.  Bed eight was filled last night with a transfer from ICU.  Caucasian woman in her mid twenties slipped getting out of tow truck in that rainstorm on Tuesday.  Skull versus pavement. Should have been a candidate for organ transplant, but she is effectively a Jane Doe.  Told the tow truck operator her name was Sarah, but they couldn’t find any ID.”

Dr Andrews pulled up the woman’s MRI. “Fractured skull and a brain bleed.  Why is this girl even here?”

Susan shrugged, “Owner of the garage is feeling guilty about what happened.  He said he would pay for life support for three weeks to give the cops a chance to find her family.  His cheque cleared, so she’s our problem until the middle of September.”  Susan hesitated.  “There’s another thing to be aware of, she has visitors.”

Paul frowned.  “You said she was a Jane Doe.”

“Yeah, but someone from the garage comes to sit with her. They have a rotation of something, but there is always one of them with her.  We have explained the situation, but they are insisting someone should be there if she wakes up.  Dr Peters finally got angry and pointed out that she wasn’t going to wake up.  The guy who was with her pointed out that people shouldn’t die alone either. Then we got a call from Administration about it.  They are now allowed twenty four hour access, as long as they leave the room for procedures.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Sadly, no. They are quite insistent about knowing what is going on with her.  On the upside, they have pretty much taken over mouth care for her.  I think they would change her diapers if we let them.  As it is, they are very insistent we keep her clean.”

They exchanged a look. They both knew that patients were supposed to be changed as soon bowel movements occurred.  However, it was easier to check on a schedule than be on constant alert.  The idea of having not exactly family members watching his every move did not sit well with Dr Andrews.  He could only imagine what the nursing staff thought of that.

####  August 22rd, 2017

Sarah was on her way to [ Plattsburg to start a Masters in Environmental studies](http://catalog.plattsburgh.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=4&poid=814&returnto=197) . She was starting to think her GPS had a sense of humour. It had her on the I-86 when she was reasonably sure there was a more direct route.

And now, it was raining.  Of course it was!  She was driving a 1960’s VW bug with slightly bald tires, why wouldn’t it be raining?

That made her laugh again. When she told her dad she wanted to learn about cars, they had built her a beetle out of spare parts. Her car was every year from 1958 through 1964 except 1960.  Nonetheless, that was the year on her registration.  They went with the average.

She was pulling up on a biker, so she slowed down and was careful with her following distance.  The last thing she needed was to smoke someone if he laid the bike down in the rain.  

She read his jacket.  “Hel’s Hounds.” Hmmm… either surprisingly well-read, or surprisingly bad spelling.  After a moment she sagged.  Or white supremacist.  God, she hated people sometimes.

Molly whimpered and nudged her elbow.  Sarah reached over and scratched her ears.  “I hear you girl.  First gas station I see, we’ll get out and stretch our legs, OK?”  Her dog gave a discussed sigh.  Sarah laughed.

Which is why she didn’t see the biker swerve to avoid the board laying in the road.  Which is why she hit it.  A random nail shredded her tire.  Sarah swore and pulled over.  Then she sat there and thumped the steering wheel and cussed until she felt, not better, but prepared to go out into the rain to change her tire.

She let Molly out to pee, resigning herself to riding with wet dog until she found a town with a motel.  Once her dog was back in the car, Sarah dug the spare out of the front of her car and jacked up the front passenger side.  Her hands were cold and wet and her lug nuts were stuck.  She took a deep breath and tried to avoid swearing.  Or crying.  She got back into the car to check her cell signal.

“Hey, Siri - where is the nearest garage?”  She gritted her teeth that the suggestion was for the clothing company.  Eventually, she found one on Milton St in Bellmont, but it was after hours and it looked like they specialized in bikes not cars.

Molly started to growl.  Sarah tensed.  Looking around she saw headlights parked on the other side of the road.

Molly was a pound dog.  She was generally really sweet, but she wasn’t always good at meeting new people.  If she was growling, something was up.  The.. truck seemed to have its hazard lights on, but it was dark and raining and Sarah couldn’t see much through windows that were now fogged up.

Oh shit, she thought.  In the movies, this is where the serial killer turns up.

####  [ April 30th, 1999 ](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/blue_moon.html)

Sean woke up feeling full and well fucked.  He also woke up to the mouth-watering smell of blood.  How was this now his life?  He yawned, stretched and opened his eyes and suddenly jumped out of bed and flattened himself to the wall.

His wife, Lori, was lying face up on the bed.  Her eyes fixed on the ceiling.  Her neck ripped out. Her entrails spilling onto the floor, her internal organs missing.

Sean just stared at her body in shock. Then he looked up into the mirror over the dresser.  His hands and mouth and dick were all covered in blood.

####  September 2nd, 2017

James, AKA Mac, AKA Mac the knife, was reading Sarah the paper.  He did that every time it was his turn to sit with her.  He read.  He would start with the paper then continue with whatever book he picked off her kindle.  Despite the doctors insisting she couldn’t hear him, careful experimentation showed that her heart rate slowed for books about dog training and increased for John Saul’s Creature.

He personally didn’t believe this was going to work.  The girl was almost brain dead when Gus had infected her.  He and Marv had insisted that it used to be that everyone was almost dead when they were infected. Mac certainly hoped so.

Fuck, he missed pussy.  The pack generally helped each other out, but it wasn’t the same.  Gus told him he hadn’t gotten any since he turned back in 1867.  He had never belonged to a pack with a Yennork in all those years.  Although, really, when Mac thought about their previous Alpha, he could understand why no female would want to stick around.  

Bastard had carved a smile onto the face of every member of his pack.  That was just unnecessary, but the sick fuck had gotten a kick out of calling them "A Pack Of Jokers."   Honestly, the best day of his life had been when Marv ripped the asshole’s throat out.


	3. Chapter 3

####  August 22nd, 2017

Sean walked up to the Jolly Rancher Green VW Bug and knocked on the fogged up window.  He could hear the dog barking on the inside, so he idly shed a bunch of calm your tits pheromones.

The woman inside the car rolled the window down about an inch and worried hazel eyes peeked out of the gap at him.

“I’m Sean.  I work at the garage in Bellmont.  A biker saw you go off the road and called me to come make sure you were OK.”

“I’m fine, but my tire blew and my lug nuts are seized.”

“I’ll go see what I can do.” He hesitated for a moment.  “Look, the heaters in these things are notoriously shit.  Why don’t you and your dog go wait in the tow truck?  It’s warm and the radio works.  Keys are in the ignition if you want to fire it up to keep the heater running.”

“That’s awfully trusting of you, Sean.”

“Yeah, well, damsel in distress and all that.  ‘Sides, the truck ain’t exactly inconspicuous if you steal it.”

The woman got out of the car. God she smelled good.  He scratched the dogs head and watched them cross the road and get into his truck.  He checked the lug nuts.  He was pretty sure he could get them off.  Hell, he could snap them off if he needed to, but not while pretending to still be human.  And not without having to replace the bolts.  He packed up her jack and her spare and ran over to the truck.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m gonna have to tow you back to the shop and do this inside. It looks like someone who didn’t know how to use the impact driver over torqued the nuts.  We’re gonna have to replace the bolts.”

The woman groaned. “Yeah.  That would have been me.  New tool.  I got a little excited.”

Sean stared at her in surprise for a moment before looking away.  “Woman after my own heart,” he said.

She grinned. “I’m Sarah, this is Molly.”

“Please to meet you.”  Sean shook the woman’s hand.  The dog held up a paw, so he shook that too.  “This will just be a moment.”  He pulled the truck around and went back out into the rain to hook up the bug.  The back seat and most of the trunk was full of boxes and suitcases.  There was a Rubbermaid tote strapped to the minty chrome and wood roof top luggage rack.  Interesting.  He gave it a jiggle, it seemed secure.

After hooking everything up, he climbed back into the cab.  “Mac is gonna be so disappointed he wasn’t working tonight. This is his favourite vintage of car, and it’s so shiny.  The chrome looks amazing.”

“Thank you!” Sarah beamed, “It takes a bit of effort to keep it that w-  I’m sorry, you already know that.”

Sean grinned. ”Yeah but most folks don’t really appreciate that.”

Sean kept the conversation light on the drive in, but Sarah wasn’t very good about being guarded.  He learned her last name, Williams, and that she was moving to Plattsburg.  She was planning on staying in residence and was feeling nervous because she didn’t know anyone there.  At twenty-four she was starting to feel too old to be a student, but she had worked for a few years after getting her degree.  

Sean laughed at that.  “At twenty four, I was going to college for the first time after doing two tours of duty with The Marines.”

“Huh. Well, Semper Fi.”

“Rah.”  Sean replied automatically, then paused.

“I’m sorry, was that wrong?”

“No, ma’am. I just… don’t hear that often.”

“What did you go to college for, Sean?  I mean what did you take?”

“I became a mechanic.  I had done some work as an MOS - 3521, so when I got out it seemed like the obvious choice.”

Sarah nodded.

The truck pulled into a parking lot that was full of motorcycles.  Including one that looked suspiciously like the one Sarah had been following.  She swallowed nervously.

“You OK?”

“Yeah.  I’m just suddenly really glad I was being polite while following that biker early.”

Sean laughed as he pulled into the garage.  “Gus mentioned that. Now be careful, the running boards are going to be slippery.”

Sarah nodded, opened her door, stepped out of the truck and promptly slipped, cracking her skull on her way down.

“Aw, shit.” Sean muttered.  He leaned in and gave her a sniff.

He ran into the office where everyone was sitting around watching football.  “Um….  I think that girl I picked up is dying.”

“Jesus, son, you eat another one?”

“No! Fuck, Marv! She slipped getting out of the truck and hit her head.”

Gus was suddenly paying really close attention.  “Married?”

“No!  She’s on her way to grad school in Plattsburg.”

“Huh.” Gus said, pointedly looking at Marv.

Mac sat up. “I can smell her dog.  You bite her and we blame the dog and get a Yennork.”

Marv gave him hard look.  “You really think setting up her dog to be put down is the best way to start a relationship?”

Gus was still watching Marv.  “Is that your only objection? If the girl is dying anyway?”

The two shared a long look.  “What do you have in mind?”

Gus jumped up and ran to the kitchen.  He came back with a mug and the meat tenderizer. He handed the mug to Marv.  “Spit!” he commanded.

Marv raised an eyebrow.

“Or, more specifically, drool.”

Marv changed to combat mode and drooled into the cup.  It got a lot easier after he was close enough to the girl to smell her.  Her dog was standing over her growling at them.  Marv snarled.  The dog started to shiver but didn’t back down.  Sean grabbed her collar and stuffed her back into the truck.

When he had about half a cup of drool, he loaded up the meat tenderizer syringe and unbuttoned her pants. Marv grabbed his arm.  Gus stopped. “I can’t go into her shoulder.  The joint is round, the needle will slide off.  Her pelvis is a flat bone.  Better chance of this working.”

Marv nodded and released his second’s arm.

Gus stabbed Sarah hard. There was a crunch.  He pressed the plunger, then pulled out the syringe and fixed her pants.  “OK.  Call the ambulance.”

Marv grunted, “ _ Hide her bag, first.  We don’t know anything about her. Her name is Sarah. Sean picked her up on a tow run. _ ”  It only took them a few minutes to empty Sarah’s car and tuck everything into the apartment over the garage.

Mac tucked her phone in his pocket and headed out on his bike before the ambulance arrived.

Marv changed back to hume looking and insisted on riding in the ambulance with her to the hospital.  That left Sean, Gus, and Craig to dig through her stuff to find out what they could learn about woman.

It was Gus that found the dog’s registration and proof of vaccination in her purse.  “The dog’s full name is ‘Miss Molly Dog Pollywog Princess Webbed Feet’.”  He went silent at that as it sunk in.  “This may have been a mistake.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

####  August 22nd, 2017 - 11:45 pm

Mac pulled into the last gas station before he crossed into the next pack’s territory.  He wasn’t the only biker there.  Three big guys wearing German style helmets with swastikas on the side were also getting gas. Mac made sure he pulled up so they could see the rainbow patch on the side of his jacket.  He wasn’t the best at this.  Sean was way better.  Mac looking too much like a skinhead who had lost a knife fight or two for it to work.  Still, he gave his hips an extra swing as he walked past them to the pay phone.

Bob answered the third ring. “I’m coming for a visit.” Mac informed him, “I be at the usual place in twenty and I’m bringing snacks.”

The other bikers were staring at him as he swished past them, so he blew them a kiss.

They caught up to him ten minutes out. They brought two friends.  Mac pulled over on to a back road.  They followed.  He stopped his bike. They stopped. He pulled off his helmet and draped himself over the back of his crotch rocket.  “You know why I wear the rainbow patch?” he asked. He didn’t wait for a reply before answering his own question.  “It’s because my master says he never wants to find out he was on the wrong side of a war again.”

“What does that mean?” The leader demanded, wrapping a length of chain around his hand.

“It means every war you sick fucks have ever waged on the world, you have lost.  But it’s not too late to get back on your bikes and leave.”

“Yeah.” said one of the others.  “It is.”

####  August 23rd, 2017 12:05 am

Robert pulled his truck and trailer onto an abandoned side rode. He saw six bikes parked neatly in a row. He grinned and climbed out of the cab.  He walked towards the monster that was currently beating a man to death and laughed.  “I see you brought snacks.”

\---

Sarah was half way through an MRI at that point. Marv was pretty sure it was going to show at least a skull fracture.  The admitting staff had told him only next of kin could be with the patients in here.  He pointed out she was a Jane Doe as he pulled out his credit card.  It was amazing how much that helped smooth things along.

By 2 am they had approached him about organ donation.  This is where not being the actual next of kin was very helpful.

By 3am, Marv and Sean were filling out police reports.  Craig had turned up to sit with Sarah while they were doing that.

By 7am, Sarah had a bed in ICU.  Craig was standing guard.  Or at least sitting watch.  They weren’t expecting anything yet, but having someone sitting there dumping pheromones into the air near her couldn’t hurt.

Well, except that the nurses kept coming by to ask if he needed anything.

And some of the interns.

And the little old lady volunteer who came around with the sandwich cart.  That last one was a little surprising.

“Here,” Estelle insisted, “just take a sandwich.  You are too thin.  If you were my son, I would make you eat more.  I’ll bring you a thermos of soup tomorrow, in case your… young lady is still unwell.”

Craig may have blushed slightly at the knowing look she gave him, but he said thank you and took the sandwich.  He had long ago learned not to argue with geriatric women, it only ever went bad.

At Eleven, Sean turned up to take over the guard duties.  Craig stretched, “The chairs are crap, but there isn’t much we can do about them.”

Sean frowned.  “Tell the boss.  Maybe he can figure out how to donate something more comfortable.”

Craig nodded.  He walked past Estelle in the lobby on his way out.  He smiled at her.  “Thanks for the sandwich.”

She gave him a warm smile.  “What a polite young man!  You are very welcome!  Going to get some proper food now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good!  You’ll be wanting to find some warm socks for your young lady.  Their feet get so cold in there, what with the not moving at all.” Estelle suggested.

Craig considered this.  “Yes ma’am.  Thanks for the tip.”

When he got out to the bikes, Gus was waiting for him.  “Back to the house? Mac is back in town. We made a pot of stew.”

“Yup.” Craig said, distractedly looking at his phone.  “I need to make a stop first.”

Gus considered this. “Where we going, brother?”

“I dunno. A craft store, I guess.”

Gus fought between confusion and amusement.  “You after makin’ her a scrapbook?”

“Nah.  Gonna knit her some socks.”

“Ha!  Pull the other one, ‘sgot bells on!”

Craig glared at his pack mate.  “I can knit!  I used to make … stuff.”

“Socks?”

“OK, so it’s been a while.  But it’s like riding a bike and besides there are how to videos for everything now.”

Gus looked surprising aggressive at that.  “Laddy, I will bet you I can knit her a pair of socks in the time it takes you to figure out the one.”

Craig looked up at that.  “Bottle of 20 year old single malt to the winner?”

Gus grinned, “Aye.  If the stars align and you some how get the jump on me, I’ll even put an e in it for you.”  It was a long-standing joke between the two of them.  Technically, Craig drank bourbon, but it was too much fun arguing spelling to let that stand in their way.

####  12:00 noon

It would be an understatement to say Phyllis was surprised when a pair of bikers in black leather jackets pulled up in front of her Knitting and Needlework store.  Or that she was apprehensive when they came inside.  The one who was merely scruffy came over to the desk.  The one with facial scarring headed straight to the sock yarn section.

Scruffy man said, “I wanna knit some socks.”  He thought about it for a moment.  “For a girl,” he added.

Phyllis swallowed.  “Have you ever knit anything before?”  The scarred man burst out laughing.  “I mean, socks aren’t the best first project.”

“Yeah, I have, it’s been… awhile.”  Craig decided mentioning that he hadn’t actually knit anything since the 1950’s wouldn’t be the most helpful at this point.  Instead he said, “I used to knit socks while I was in the service,” and left out that he meant he had knit during trench warfare in World War One and randomly throughout World War Two.

Gus was still chuckling to himself as he approached the counter.  He slammed down a skein of grey sock yarn with a pretty purple heather fleck.  “I’ll take that and a set of number 13 sock needles.”

Phyllis gaped at him.  “Number thirteen is way too big for that yarn.”  She fumbled behind the counter and pulled out the 9 mm needles that were more suitable for a chunky afghan than a pair of socks.

Gus frowned, pulled out his phone and tried to let Google solve the problem.  While he was working on that, Phyllis helped Craig pick out something called self patterning sock yarn, a book on something called the magic loop and a weird long string with a knitting needle attached to each end.

“Ah!” Gus exclaimed, “UK,” he grumbled at the word, “size 13 knitting needles is a size 2.25 millimetre needle.  What size did you get?”

Craig looked at his package. “2.75 emm emm size two.”

Phyllis pulled out a size one circular.

Gus frowned.  “No.  I want proper sock needles.  Set of five.”

“Aluminium, acrylic, wood or stainless?”

Gus hesitated for a moment,  “Stainless?”

She pulled out a pack of Chiao Goos.  Gus opened the package and nodded approvingly.  “Do you want me to wind that for you?”

Gus gave her a look.  “I ken how to do that!”

“I’m sorry.  You just don’t look like a man who owns a ball winder.”

Craig snickered.

“Wa?” Gus asked.

Phyllis sighed and took him over to the umbrella swift and the ball winder.  It took her about three minutes to turn his skein into a cake.

“Huh.  What will they think of next.”

They paid cash and left and Phyllis leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief.  In the forty years she had been working here, she had never had two actual customers who made her fear for her life.  Everything about the men had oozed malevolent intent.  They had been polite enough, but she could shake the creeped out feeling.  Analysing the encounter, she shouldn’t be as upset as she was.

It was looking like a nice day out there.  She decided to close for lunch.

####  3:17 pm

Marv finally got home after having spent the day arguing with and finally manipulating the hospital administration into acquiescing to his demands.  He was tire, he was hungry and he was generally pissed off.  All of this combined did not put him in the best mood to walk into the house and find two of his pack, in the parlour, knitting.

Or more specifically, Gus knitting, and Craig swearing as he tried to follow along with a video and occasionally telling Gus he was doing it wrong.  Marv stared in shock, then started growling.  Both his boys dropped what they were doing and hustled to the kitchen.

“Stew for lunch, Boss.” Gus said ladling some into a bowl.  Craig got out the cutlery and a beer.  Gus followed quickly with [ soda bread](http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/03/real-irish-soda-bread-recipe.html) and butter.

After their alpha had half a bowl of stew in him, Gus asked, “What do we know?”

Marv grunted.  “Don’t know if it took yet.  They are gonna keep her alive for a few weeks.  We’re gonna haveta cash in a few things to make it happen.  Fucking healthcare is expensive.  We are gambling more than a million dollars on this working.”  He considered this as he drained his beer.  Craig grabbed him another from the fridge.  “Gonna talk to the science division.  Maybe we can get funding for this.  Don’t think its bin tried before.  The sawbones are talking brain damage.  If the curse can’t heal that…  we’ll have to put ‘er down anyway.”  He cracked open the second beer.  “Where’s the dog?”

Gus and Craig both grinned, but it was Gus who said, “Mac took Miss Molly Dog Pollywog Princess Webbed Feet for a walk.”

Marv paused, his beer halfway to his lips, “Tag says Molly.  We is gonna call her Molly.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a previous work, I made the main character a knitter, just to give her a quirky hobby. Then when I actually looked into it, I found out that Captain America was a knitter and that, pre baby boomers, most middle to lower class men could knit. 
> 
> So, what the hell.


	5. Chapter 5

September 4th, 2017

Mac noticed her smell change.  She smelled afraid.  He stopped reading for a moment and slid his chair a little closer.  There wasn’t any sign of movement, but…

“Yur safe.  Yur in the hospital.  We’re takin’ care of you.” He thought for a moment, “We’re takin’ care of Molly too.  She gets lots of walks and we found the right brand of food for her.  She misses you, but the doctors won’t let her come visit.  You gotta wake up so you can come home to her.”

He stopped to watch her for a long moment, “I want to hold yur hand.  But I won’t until I know it’s OK.  We’ve been helping take care of you.  Brushing yur teeth, moving your arms and legs a bit to keep your blood flowing.  Gus, made you a bunch of warm socks.  You seem to like them.  Or at least you like having warm feet.  Your heart rate goes up when we take them off and comes back down after we put a new pair on.”

“Sean found out you like those fancy colouring books, so he got you a bunch and some real nice pencil crayons.  Marv got a room set up for you.”  Mac hesitated, “We’re hopin’ you come home with us.  We can still drive you into Plattsburg every day, if you wanna start school after New Years.  You don’t havta stay with us, but we are all hoping you will.”

He thought some more.  “It’s complicated.  We want to have everything ready for you if you agree to come home with us, but we don’t want to cross that line into creepy.  Gus figures he and me will have to stay out of your way for a while, when you first wake up.  We aren’t exactly pretty.  Sean and Craig are more chick bait, so you will probably wanna spend a lot of time with them.    Marv says if you wake up, what happens next has to be your call.  He isn’t going to insist on anything.

“I hope I get a chance to talk to you when you wake up.  Gus thinks it’s weird that I talk to you when you can’t answer, but you were afraid five minutes ago and now you are more calm, so it can’t be all bad.”

He watched her for a moment.  “I’m going to hold your hand.  If you get afraid, I’ll stop, OK?”  He waited for a moment.  “OK, I’m taking your left hand.  Wow, your fingers are cold too.  Maybe I should get you some mittens.  I’m not sure they would let me put them on over the IV.  If you don’t mind, I could just hold your hand and keep your fingers warm.  I know I’m babbling.  I don’t know what to say and it’s harder that I would have thought holding up both ends of the conversation.  I’ll go back to reading now that you are feeling less afraid.”

Mac watched her for a moment.  Fuck he had no idea how to talk to girls any more.  He was vaguely aware that you were supposed to call them women now.  He had left humanity at the age of 24 in 1975.  At that point he had been listening to punk music and pushing for anarchy in the world.  He wanted to date a girl who wasn’t a poseur.  And would suck his cock.

Sadly, these days all he wanted in a girl was one who could survive.

####  August 25th, 2017

Marv wasn’t entirely convinced that this was the best idea.  Still, it was pretty clear the girl wasn’t going to be waking up if they hadn’t.  At least they were giving her a chance.  Giving all of them a chance.  And while they were waiting he was suddenly spending all his time arguing with hospital staff, trusting the boys to keep the business going.

Looper packs all had a business.  Well, the stable ones anyway.  Something that tended to be a male dominated business.  A garage, electricians, a machine shop, never plumbers, and, in the old days, they might run a gentleman’s club.  These days it was more likely to be a gay bar.  Marv’s crew all wore the rainbow patch.  It was pretty much bait.

Marv had fought in the America Civil war.  He thought he was fighting to protect a way of life.  A hundred plus years of perspective had show him he was fighting to protect the privilege of a few wealthy landowners.  Plus, he may have been poor white trash, but the important part in that sentence had been white.

Until some moneyed bastard had found him bleeding out of the battlefield.  The man had changed and bitten Marv’s knee before dragging him away.  

Marv spent the next six years being his alpha’s slave before he was strong enough to challenge the man.  It had changed his perspective on the equality of all men.

He didn’t force his pack.  He really only pulled on the power of his position when it was really important.  Gus had wanted this.

Gus had been turned about the same time Marv had, just on the other side of the world.  Like Marv, he had been forced to walk away from his wife and kids.  Where Marv had resigned himself to the life, Gus wanted someone to take care of.  It made pack dynamics a bit complicated give what had happened with Sean.

Marv came along when they transferred the girl to the long-term care wing.  Fuck.  It was like hell’s waiting room in there.  Everyone smelled like corpse, including his girl, but especially the old lady in bed one.  Why weren’t her kin just letting her die?  God he hoped this worked.  He didn’t want to have spent all this effort just to have Sarah die.  He didn’t want The Black ordering him to pull the plug either.

“You can’t be here.”

Marv looked over at the nurse who was talking to him.  Her nametag said her name was Susan.

“Why not?  I’m paying for this.”

“That isn’t how this works.  Visiting rules say next of kin only.” Susan insisted.

“Well, we’ll just have to see about that.”  He was already on a first name basis with Valerie from billing.  Damned if he was just gonna leave his girl here.  She could fall prey to anything.

####  September 4th, 2017 10:00pm

“Are you supposed to be holding her hand like that?” Marv was frowning.  He was here to take over observation from Mac.  It had been a shit day.  Their parts order was late.  The jackass who had ordered a custom bike from the shop had tried to haggle on the finished product.  The fairy ring in the forest had opened and the pointy ears made his teeth itch.  Fuck, you spend the day repelling an intergalactic invasion through a naturally occurring wormhole and all you get is stabbed.  Not even so much as a thank you, because (if you are doing your job right) the public never finds out they almost became the newest slave race for an ancient and powerful species.

Mac looked guilty.  “She smells more relaxed when I’m holding her hand.”

“Really.”  Marv sounded sceptical.

Mac let go.  Sarah’s fingers curled around his, weak as a newborn kitten, there was barely any pressure in her grip, but it was there.

“Shit.” Marv said staring at their hands.  “Looks like you’re staying, boy.”

Mac swallowed, “Can you hear me, Sarah?”

Finger twitch.

“You fell and hit your head.  You are in the hospital.”  Mac hesitated.  Marv was pheromone dumping like his life depended on it.  “Can you squeeze my hand again?”

It was gentle, but it was there.

####  September 10th - 16th 1920

Marv had seen met his maker in Atlanta in 1867.  They had fought until both of them were nearly dead.  Then they each ran off to heal and Marv (who’s name had been Jasper at the time) had just kept running.  He has spent the intervening time walking the world as a lone wolf.  It suited him just fine.  But here he was, in New York, and suddenly he had picked up the bastard’s scent trail.

Marv found the smell to 23 Wall St and watched the man go into the J. P. Morgan Bank.  

He made sure he stayed up wind as he stalked his prey for the next five days.

It turned out, the bastard was running a brothel.  His pack was a mess.  Simon was still there, but the rest of them were new.  Marv considered this.  He still didn’t think he could win in a tooth and claw fight.  But he had picked up a few things during the war.

The man made his bank deposit everyday at 12:01 like clockwork and Marv knew where to get a horse and cart.

[ On the sixth day he made his move. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_bombing)

Shame about the horse, really.

He left Simon in charge of the Manhattan pack.  Marv wasn’t a city boy.  But Craig followed him out of town.  Skinny little git wouldn’t stay gone.

 

 


	6. Craig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Background on Craig

####  August 22nd, 2017

The thing with getting old, Craig reasoned, is how much the world changed.  His, name for example.  He was on his - what?- tenth name?  Maybe more.  Every couple of hundred years your name fell out of date.  There were other things. He had been a respectable five foot when he turned.  In the next hundred or so years, all the shifting back and forth had stretched his bones to a freakishly tall six feet.  Now that was normal and he was up to 6’4.

He supposed that made sense.  How would you blend into the general public if you features were centuries out of date?

He had arrived in  Point  Rosee …  time was a difficult thing to keep track of.  It had been before the Mass Extinction of the Yennork.  He had crossed the ocean on a long boat and just stayed behind when the rest of the pack left.

It had been a much more feudal arrangement back then.  Marv was the most relaxed pack leader Craig had ever met.  The man who had infected Craig, had run his pack and his Yennork as his personal playthings.  

Craig didn’t see any appeal in that.  He was perfectly all right living alone.  He had learned the local language, several times, in fact, as different groups occupied the area.  There were enough threats in this part of the world to keep Stephen King in business forever.  There was always something to hunt.

All that time alone had given him a lot of perspective.  If the woman lying on the floor of the garage wasn’t dying, he would have stopped Gus.

He wasn’t sure it was worth ruining someone’s life just because the boys were lonely.  And he was under no illusions that they wouldn’t be ruining the life of whomever they infected.  Look at Sean and Lori.  Become a Dog and you could never really go home.  Between the increased strength and speed, the heightened sense of smell and the fact that you had effectively stop aging…  it was better not to spend more than ten years in any one place.  Five was better.

This woman, however, was dead anyway if this didn’t work.  However it turned out, she was lost to her family now.  If it worked, maybe she could still spend some time saying goodbye and fading out of their lives.

It may seem like a roll of the dice about who they were getting.  That was foolish.  You should be sure the person you infect will fit into the pack before you bite them.  On the other hand, her dog was willing to stand up to Marv in full combat mode, where most dogs peed in fear and ran to hide at the sight of them.  It wasn’t even a particular dangerous looking dog.  Female, spayed, fifty-five pounds or so, mutt, not the sort you would expect to see as a guard dog.

But fiercely loyal to her owner.  That said a lot about the personality of the owner.

Dogs of War had their own language.  There were a lot of myths about that.  They couldn’t actually speak to canines.  What they could do, was speak their own language in all three forms.  The vocal cords, lips and jaws of a hume were very different than those of a wolf, and different again from the combat form.  There was a lot communicated by posture and eye line and smells.  The vocalizations were important, but a lot could be said without them.

Mac was thinking with his dick.

Sean was feeling guilty about Lori.  Again.

Gus wanted to recreate the family he had lost.

Marv was still a southern gentleman, thinking about protecting the girl.

Craig was thinking about the long-term implications of what they were doing.  He wasn’t certain that he liked where this was going.

Still, he had been following Marv for almost a hundred years.  If this went bad, well, that was just the norns telling him to move on.  If it did work, Craig needed someone to help him understand the world again.  He could feel it leaving them behind.

####  September 5th, 2017

“Hey!  Stop!  You can’t bring a dog in here!”

Craig rolled his eyes.  Clearly he could bring a dog in here, the question was could the staff force him to stop.  The answer was no.  They might just not understand that.  Marv had said the girl was starting to show signs of waking up.  This would help.  Therefore this is what was going to happen.

He ignored the nurse who was flapping at him.  Molly seemed a little nervous about that, but Craig rubbed her ears and she settled right down.  Until she saw Sarah.  Then she gave a bark and jumped into bed with her owner.  She smelled Sarah’s face, then lay down and began anxiously nosing the girl’s hands.

Once Molly got her head under Sarah’s hand, she started to whine.

Sarah’s fingers twitched and started to scritch the dog.

Craig and Marv made eye contact.  The nurse ran off.

“Tell her to open her eyes.”  Craig said.

Marv shook his head, “I don’t-”

Craig interrupted.  “I can’t do this. I’m not dominant enough.  We need to know if her brain is still working or if her muscle memory is doing this.  They are going to take her away for tests in a moment.  You need to tell her to open her eyes now.”

Marv glared at him.  Craig dropped his gaze.

“Sarah.  Open your eyes.”

Craig turned to stare at the girl.  Her eyelids fluttered.  It was a start.

Mac gasped.  Craig ignored him.

Marv considered this, “C’mon, girl, open your eyes.”

They cracked open a little and closed like someone trying to wake up from a deep sleep when they weren’t really ready too.

“Look at me.” This time Marv really put some weight behind the command.

Craig relaxed.  At this point Marv would do what needed to be done.  Instinct would take over.  It would be fine.  Marv had never not known the Black Treaty.  Craig had lived in isolation for hundreds of years before he learned of it.  So, while he whole heartily approved of the treaty, it wasn’t second nature for him the way it was for these boys.

Angus had put forward the suggestion that he and Mac sit out the first couple on months.  He didn’t want them scaring her off with their scars.  He had pointed Craig and Sean where closer in appearance to her age and a lot more conventionally handsome.  Craig just shook his head.  Sean was not psychologically in a good place to transition anyone into the pack, and Craig…  

Well, he had never had that experience.  He was turned.  His Alpha had given him orders.  He had followed them until he had gotten separated from the pack.  After that, he was careful not to get too close to that kind of Alpha again.  New York had been a mistake.  And he had regretted it for twenty years until Marv had solved the problem.

Marv was interesting.  He didn’t really throw his weight around.  His pack stayed together because they wanted to, not because he made them.  From what Craig understood of the Black Treaty, Marv was applying it to every member of his pack.  That alone would make for an easier transition for the girl.

Sarah.

He needed to remember that Yennork had names now.

He was going to get so much of this wrong.  He prayed to Frigg that the - that Sarah would be patient with him.

### 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? This work isn't getting much love.


	7. Sarah Wakes Up

#### September 5th, 2017

Sarah’s head ached.  Her eyes were crusty and her mouth felt like something had died in it.  She licked her lips.  Yup.  Dead and still there until the neighbours complained about the strange stain in the ceiling.

 

The headache may have been helped if the man who had worked hard at not sounding like he was from Alabama wasn’t arguing with the man who was clearly from Boston at the top of their voices.

 

Blinking wasn’t working too well for her and there was something bothering her nose.

 

On her third try she managed to scrub her face with her hand.  The was a tube coming out of her nose. It was taped to her face.  Her fingers weren’t up to much but she managed to get a grip on it.  

 

A hand gently closed over hers and a familiar voice said, “Please leave it.  It has been keeping you fed.”

 

Newcastle.  What the fuck was with all these people?

 

She managed to get her eyes open and some jack ass was immediately flashing a light in and out of them.  It hurt.  She made an involuntary shriek-hiss that was startling even to her.  What the hell?

 

Hell.

 

Hel.

 

Hel’s Hounds

 

She scrubbed her eyes.  They didn’t quite want to focus.  “Was I in a car accident?”  Her voice was soft and scratchy.  Worse than when she first woke up in the morning.  More like a really, really bad case of laryngitis.  “Did... did I hit a biker?  I was trying not to.”

 

The hand was still holding her hand.  It smelled good.  Everything else in here, including her, stank.

 

“Come on, lad.  Time for us to go.”

 

Not Glasgow, not Edinburgh, not highland, but still decidedly Scottish.  Newcastle let go of her fingers.  She whimpered at the loss.  Again, what was that?  That was not a sound she made.

 

“Did I hit my head?”

 

“Do you remember?” Boston asked.

 

“Just answer the fucking question.” No.  That wasn’t… she didn’t talk to people like that.  “Aw crap!  I have brain damage don’t I?”

 

There was a long moment of silence. Sarah blinked a few more times to try to get her eyes to focus.  It didn’t really help.  “And I’ve gone blind.  Is that the part of my brain that I damaged?  Vision and swearing?”

 

Alabama - no, not quite….  Kentucky?- answered.  “You fell out of a truck and hit your head.  They did an MRI and declared you brain dead.  Me an the boys have been taking care of you the last few weeks.”

 

“Read Hogfather?” she asked

 

Someone cleared their throat, “Yeah.  You seemed to like it.”  Newcastle said.

 

Sarah frowned.  “I don’t…  I remember but I don’t remember at the same time.  How does that work?”

 

Light in her eyes again.

 

“Fuck off!” She tried to grab the light and missed.  Something growled and it wasn’t Molly laying on her legs.

 

When he spoke, Sarah realized Boston was the one with the light.  “We don’t know how any of this works.  We would like to do another MRI.”

 

“I don’t have insurance.”  Oh crap.  She didn’t.  She had just spent god only knows how long in the hospital and had gone blind and had no insurance and now what was she going to do?  This would her parents would go bankrupt trying to help!

 

An alarm started to go off.  Maybe-Kentucky was suddenly really close to her.  “Sarah.  It’s OK.  You are gonna be fine.  We’re taking care of it.  You don’t have to panic.  You are gonna be fine.”  He smelled like leather and machine oil and, god help her, she believed him.  “It’s OK.  Just try to relax.”

 

Sarah took a deep breath in and fell asleep as she breathed out.

 

\----

 

Gus took Mac and left.  They made it back to the garage and he called the science division.  The pack had been making sure they were sending along information daily.  Their contact was very interested in what she had to say.  Arrangements were made to transfer Sarah plus one to a head injury clinic for assessment.   There were people working there that owed the loopers some favours.  Sarah would be brought in and treated, then the paperwork would mysteriously get lost.

 

All that was left was to decide who the plus one would be.  The pack just assumed it would be Marv.  Marv thought it should be Mac.

 

“You’re the one who spent all that time reading to her.  You were holding her hand when she started to wake up.”

 

Mac shook his head. He wanted to point out that it was Craig bringing Molly that had been the final push to get her to wake up.  The problem with that was they all knew Craig had spent a lot of time alone.  If there was anyone who might take the Yennork and not come back, it was him.

 

Gus had a number of concerns about Mac going.  But the one he put forward was that it should be Marv.  He was the pack leader and had more experience.

 

Marv shook his head.  “If I go, it leave the town open to territorial challenges.  Mac and the Treaty will keep her safe.”

 

Craig didn’t trust the treaty the way the others did, but it was Marv’s decision to make.  And he was right, they had just repelled an invasion attempt.  Robert’s pack go on with the boys well enough, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to expand his operation if they were left without an alpha.

 

\----

Sarah woke up.  The room was out of focus.  She had never needed glasses, but maybe this meant that she did now.  What was with the smells around here?  She could barely see the man sitting silently in the corner, but she could smell him.  

 

Mmm….  She had no idea what cologne the man was using, but it was the best one she had ever come across.

 

If she concentrated, she could smell the other patients and someone who smelled like salon shampoo and expensive make-up.

 

“I want a bath.”  She thought for a moment.  “I want all of these tubes out of me and a bath.”

 

Yummy Smelling Man went to talk to Salon Woman.  Sarah hadn’t heard him speak before.  It was….  Newfoundlander?  Ish?  Newfie mixed with Minnesota, maybe.  Weird.  Did none of these people have standard accents?

 

The discussion about unhooking Sarah was getting heated.  Boston came back and was firmly on the leave it alone side.  Sarah remember something.  “I refuse treatment.”

 

The didn’t hear her.  Yummy did.  He dragged Make-up and Boston over.  “What was that?”

 

“I refuse treatment.  I am allowed.  I want the tubes out because I am refusing that medical treatment.”

 

“Sarah, I’m Dr Andrews.  We need to ask you some questions, but we can’t just remove the equipment because-”

 

Sarah pulled out her IV.  There was a panic and a scramble as her hand started bleeding and IV fluid went everywhere.  “I can get all this stuff off of me myself, but better if I let you do, yeah?”

 

“Sarah -”

 

“NO!  My head hurts and my throat hurts and I really want a bath.  Other than that I feel fine.”  She didn’t mention the vision thing, being fairly certain that it wouldn’t help her cause.  She fumbled for the nose tube again.  Hands grabbed her, she struggled.

 

“Let go of her.”  Yummy had spoken really quietly, but there was more raw menace in his voice than most people got by shouting.  Everyone froze.  “Aside from the inconvenience of needing to put things back if she falls back into a coma, is there any reason why she currently needs to be hooked up to all of this?”

 

Dr Andrews did something that Sarah couldn’t see and the sighed.  “We don’t know.  I haven’t been able to examine her or run any tests.”

 

“The IV is already gone.  The NG tube isn’t going to make any difference if she crashes.  The catheter is helpful for keeping her clean, but I’ll change her sheets if she pees.  Unhook her.”

 

Sarah wasn’t sure why they did as they were told.  She got the firm impression that they weren’t either.  After they were done, Dr Andrews stormed out.  One of the nurses went to organize a bath for Sarah.

 

“My name is Craig.  I am part of the family that runs the garage where your car was towed.  We have been sitting with you and taking care of you since then.  Will you let me help you take a bath?”

 

Sarah hesitated.  “I don’t know you.”

 

“You don’t know them, either.”

 

That was a fair point.  “What is Newcastle’s name?  The one who read to me?”

 

There was a long pause.  “His name is Mac.”

 

Sarah shook her head.  “No.  Not the Scottish one, the one who read to me.”

 

Craig chuckled softly.  “The Scot is named Gus.  Mac is the one who read to you.  Marv … owns the garage.  Sean-”

 

“-drives the tow truck.”  Sarah finished.  “I didn’t remember that until you said his name.”

 

The nurse was back.  “OK.  Let’s get this over with.”

 

“My friend Craig is going to take me for a bath.”

 

“We can’t-” she fell silent.

 

Craig used that opportunity to say, “Why don’t you and Dr Andrews get her discharge papers ready?  I’m sure you will want her to sign something before she leaves AMA.”

 

The nurse stomped off.

 

Craig picked her up.  She could hear Molly yawn and stretch and pad after them.  While Craig was scrubbing her hair, he asked.  “Why did you tell them the wrong last name?”

 

Sarah shrugged.  “Why didn’t you correct me if you knew it was wrong?  Why didn’t they already know?  All my ID was in my purse in the tow truck.”

 

Craig went silent.

 

Sarah sighed as his fingers scratched perfectly at her scalp.  “Definitely a wash and repeat day.”  

 

He was careful not to get shampoo in her eyes when he rinsed her hair.

 

Sarah spoke again as the second round of shampoo went in.  “I’m not sure if any of this is real yet.  It all feels a bit trippy.  I can smell everything.  The shampoo feels nice, but it smells terrible.  I can smell which brand of make-up the nurse was wearing.  Or at least I think I can.”  

 

Craig passed her a washcloth.  Sarah started at her hands and then scrubbed up her arms.  Ugh. It was was past time shave her armpits.  Maybe not while Craig was helping.  After the second rinse, he lifted her out of the tub. He wrapped her in about three of the too small, too rough hospital towels and pulled over a table.  He gave her a toothbrush with paste already on it, a cup of water and a basin to spit into.  Molly came over and leaned against her legs.  While Sarah was brushing her teeth, she could hear Craig cleaning the bathtub.

 

“How bad of a ring did I leave?”

 

Craig snorted, “Let’s just say, it’s a rinse and repeat day.”  She finished brushing her teeth and could hear him filling the tub.  “Marv is going to want you to come stay with us.  At least until  you can see again.  It will be your decision, but this would be easier on all of us - and you - if you did.  At least for a little while.”

 

“I want to go home to my family.”

 

She could feel Craig’s fear at that. How did that work?  This had to be the brain damage.

 

“It is up to you, but if you are going to go home to your family, you should definitely have the MRI first.”

 

Sarah was a bit irritated by that.  “But not if I go with you?”

 

“Sean has PTSD.  We know how to work with people who are …”

 

“Mentally compromised?”

 

“If you like.”

 

She could smell when Maybe-Kentucky came in.  Leather and oil.  “Is that Marv?”

 

Two startled noises.  “Yeah.  It’s me.  How did you know?”

 

Sarah wasn’t sure how to explain that.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Marv continued.  “We made arrangements for you to be seen at the Devin Clinic.  You will go by ambulance in a few hours.”

 

“I can’t afford that.”

 

“You don’t need to.  It’s our responsibility to take care of you.”

 

Sarah sighed.  “It was a wet night.  Sean warned me to be careful. If I sue, the only people who will win will be the lawyers.”

 

“You don’t have to sue.  If you aren’t happy with how this turns out, you can leave and you will still be financially taken care of.  We wanna know you will be OK.”

 

Shit.  The garage didn’t look that well off.  So, was this some gang related drug money or something that was paying for all of this?

 

“It’s OK.” Marv reassured her. “Don’t be afraid.  You are safe.  No one is going to hurt you.  It’s gonna be OK.”

 

Craig asked, “Are you ready for round two, or do you need to go back to bed now?”

 

Sarah didn’t say anything  She was sitting here, wearing only a pile of towels, with two strange men in the room.  Why wasn’t she more freaked out by that?  Part of it was that Molly was here and she wasn’t bothered by either of them.

 

Marv said, “I’ll just go arrange the transfer with the staff, OK?”

 

Sarah nodded.

 

Marv left.

 

“OK,” she said. “Round two.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a Doctor


	8. Sarah

####  September 6th, 2017

“I wish Molly was coming with me.”

 

There was the absolute silence that Sarah wasn’t quiet used to yet.  The … guys from the garage always took a moment of silence any time she said anything.  It was… a little odd.  Almost like they were taking a moment to talk among themselves before answering.

 

Sarah had been afraid to go to sleep last night.  She was afraid that she wouldn’t wake up again.  Sean had been sitting with her.  He wasn’t as good at reading out loud as Mac.  In the morning her head still hurt but her vision was better.  She could make out shapes instead of just blobs.  She wasn’t exactly keen to mention this.  Some jackass would just start shining light in her eyes again.

 

They had let her drink those old people protein shakes for supper.  She felt really hungry, but hadn’t been able to talk her way into some solid food.  Plus she had the embarrassment of having to use a commode rather than being allowed to use the bathroom.  She didn’t even feel like she could complain about that since they had to leave to ward to even find her a commode.  It wasn’t something they stocked on the coma ward.

 

She woke up so hungry she was begging for toast or crackers or anything.  She was told they didn’t want her to aspirate on the trip.  Sarah suspected this was retaliation for her making the doctor pull out her feeding tube.  By the time the ambulance arrived, she was so hungry she just curled into a ball on her bed and cried.  Molly had climbed into bed to snuggle up against her.

 

After the pause, one of the paramedics, Tim, finally said, “You can bring your service dog.  They are allowed.”

 

Sarah opened her mouth to point out Molly wasn’t a service dog.  Then she closed it and waited to see if anyone else would mention that.

 

Marv cleared his throat, “Sarah, I wanna send someone to make sure your taken care of.  I was thinking of sending Mac.  If you wanna take someone else, that’s fine.  But you gotta stay with whoever you take.  No wandering off, understand?”

 

Biting back the urge to make a snarky comment about not wandering off to walk into walls she couldn’t see, Sarah nodded.  She was pretty sure she could talk Mac into sneaking her some real food.

 

“Ok,” Nicole, the other paramedic said, “Do you want to try to stand and transfer to the stretcher or would you be happier letting us transfer you?”

 

Sarah was surprised at that.  “I’m allowed to stand?”

 

“We can give it a try, as long as you promise to tell us if you start feeling light headed,” Nicole replied calmly.

 

The transfer went fairly well.  Sarah’s legs felt shaky, like she had overdone it in the gym.  They got her all strapped in and Tim and Mac wheeled her out to the ambulance bay.  Then they waited.

 

A few minutes later, Nicole turned up with three coffees, a peppermint tea and a take away order of waffles from the staff cafeteria.  “Sorry, Sarah.  I’m not willing to give you syrup or bacon, but if you can keep these down, we’ll try something a bit more adventurous for lunch.”

 

“You’re feeding me?”

 

“Sure!”  Nicole sounded surprised.  “There aren’t many of us Yennorks; we have to stick together.”

 

Sarah frowned.  “What’s a Yennork?”

 

####  June 12th, 2004

When Sarah didn’t really care that a meteorite had struck a house in New Zealand.  At thirteen, she didn’t even care that there was only one week of school left.  No.  What was worrying thirteen year of Sarah Williams was that she was going to spend the summer with her only living grandparent.  Her dad’s dad was going to be taking care of her while her parents finalized the divorce and sold the house.

 

She had known things weren’t good between her parents for years now, but she hadn’t been expecting this.

 

Grampa Alton was nice enough, in a completely self absorbed able bodied white male kind of a way.  He was a baby boomer.  He hadn’t really bothered to come visit after Gramma Vivian died of breast cancer three years ago.  Sarah kinda go the impression that he hadn’t contributed much to her dad’s upbringing.

 

And now he was going to be in charge of a thirteen year old girl.

 

Sarah would rather have spent the summer with one of her friends from school.  When she asked if that could be arranged, nether of her parents would look at her.

 

No.  Once the house was sold, Dad would be getting a one bedroom apartment in the city to keep his job.  Mom would be moving back east where the housing was more affordable.  Sarah would be starting High School in a new town.

 

It was the dumbest thing Sarah had ever heard, but her parents said they were rushing the divorce so that she could register for school in the fall, instead of having to move half way through the year.  That was bullshit!  If they cared about her, they would find a way to stop fighting all the time.

 

This was so unfair.

####  September 6th, 2017

“What’s a Yennork?”

 

There was the silence.  Again.

 

“Are y’all doing sign language or something?  What’s with all the long dramatic pauses?”

 

Nicole snorted.  “Y’all.  Good lord, you are already starting to talk like Marv.  That is awesome.”

 

“You are ducking my question.”

 

“Yes, yes I am.  But I promise to explain once your vision clears up.”

 

“What if it doesn’t?”

 

“It will.”  That was Tim.  “You should eat those waffles before they get cold.”

 

They were toaster waffles that had gotten a bit soft in the warming tray in the cafeteria, but, right now, they were the best damn waffles Sarah had ever eaten.  Nonetheless, she saved the last bite for Molly.

 

“Why did you do that?” Nicole asked.

 

Sarah considered this.  “Molly ended up at the pound after an animal neglect complaint.  She was extremely malnourished when I got her.  I haven’t been able to feed her in weeks.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

 

Mac was the one who broke the silence this time.  “We’ve been taking care of her.  We figured out which food you were feeding her.  She’s been going for runs with us.  She’s part of the pack now.”

 

“Um… I wanted to ask…  How come you’re called Mac?  Is that short for something?  You aren’t Scottish.   You sound like you are from The Geordie Shore or something.”

 

Silence.

 

“Yeah.  I used to live around there.  Um…  They call me Mac, like that old song, Mac the knife.  Uh… my Glasgow smile is a bit… more noticeable than Gus’s.”

 

“What’s a Glasgow smile?”   
  


Uncomfortable silence.

 

Nicole coughed.  “At some point someone has carved Mac’s face up a bit.”

 

“Oh.”  Sarah thought about that for a moment.  “What’s your real name?”

 

“James.”

 

“Mind if I call you James?”

 

Awkward silence.

 

“You can if you want, but no one will know who you’re talk about.  Mac is fine.”

 

“And someone did that to Gus, too?”

 

Mac sighed.  “Me and him were… in a gang before we got … jobs at Marv’s garage.  The… head of the gang would slice everyone as, um, part of the initiation.”

 

Sarah didn't know what to say to that. 

 

Nicole asked, “Marv seems like a pretty decent guy.”

 

“Yeah.  He took us in when he didn’t haveta.  We have good jobs and nice place to live.  He’s a good… boss.”

 

Tim cleared his throat from the driver’s seat.  “We still have a long way to go.  Maybe you two should let Sarah get some rest.”

 

The shapes and smells that were Mac and Nicole leaned away.

 

“Mac?” Sarah asked.  “Um… if it won’t bother Tim and Nicole, could you read to me some more?”

 

Mac nodded.  “Any requests?”  He pulled out her kindle.

 

“Hogfather?”

 

Mac nodded and turned on the kindle.  “Some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot skeleton with a scythe telling you them.”

 

Sarah drifted off to sleep without noticing that she had been able to see Mac nod.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show me the love


	9. Nicole

#### September 7th, 2017

Jonathan Black’s favourite daughter was reading a medical file.  It was one of the more interesting things she had come across.  August 22nd, the woman had a significant bleed into the occipital lobe of her brain.  Today’s fMRI showed only a small area of damage.   At this rate, Nicole wouldn’t be surprised if it was completely repaired in a few days.  According to Sarah, her vision had gone from only being able to see light and dark on September 5th, to merely needed a pair of strong glasses today.

 

Nicole couldn’t wait to see how Sarah’s vision tested tomorrow.

 

Still, the pack’s leader should have come for this next bit.  Marv was an odd duck, but new puppies needed a firm hand and Mac wasn’t up to insisting on anything.

 

Fuck.

 

She could do it, if necessary, but that wasn’t ideal.

 

She wasn’t sure what to think of Mac.  He was attentive.  That was good.  Sarah was relatively relaxed around him.  That was even better.  Marv seemed to be under the impression that his pack should be given free rein.  That was…. problematic.  Sarah was, of course, free to choose her own path.

 

As long as she made the right choice.

 

Going off on her own was the equivalent of rolling in bacon grease and crawling into the tiger cage.

 

There were rules in place to make sure people didn’t do that for a reason.

 

Just like there were rules in place to prevent Yennorks from roaming around unattended.

 

Follow the rules and no one got hurt.

 

The tricky part was explaining that.

 

Nicole rolled her shoulders back, cracking the joints in her shoulders and her neck.  Part of her wanted to just get this over with.  The rest of her thought it would be easier to pull off once Sarah could see properly.

 

It wasn’t that difficult to arrange for Sarah’s parents to be waiting at the clinic when Sarah had arrived.  The Black lawyers had already been working on them for some time.  It hadn’t been difficult to point out that Sarah was getting the very best care.  After all, she had been diagnosed as brain dead, yet here she was still awake and very much alive.  It was a simple thing to point out that if they took legal action against the garage, that very best care would stop until the legal matter could be dealt with.

 

In the meantime, it had been mildly entertaining watching them each try to completely ignore the other.  They had just arranged themselves to not be in the same room together after the progress meeting.  A quiet word with Sarah suggested this might have been the first time they were in the same room since their divorce thirteen years ago.

 

The encounter had made Nicole feel better in that they were two of the most self absorbed people she had ever met.  They wouldn’t cause a problem if they didn’t get to see Sarah that often.

 

#### September 9th, 2017

Nicole was sitting with Sarah and Mac.  “Your vision is back to twenty/twenty and most of the muscle atrophy has reversed.”  She sighed and tried to figure how to broach the next bit.  As luck would have it,Sarah helped.

 

“OK, so I don’t pretend to understand brain injuries, but how is the muscle thing possible?  At this point, I’m guessing that there must have been a mix up with the original MRI.  My name on some other patient’s file or something.  But how did I gain twenty pounds of muscle in four days?  That just doesn’t seem possible.”

 

Nicole relaxed.  “The original MRI wasn’t wrong.  You slipped in the garage and fractured your skull on the concrete.  Marv made a decision, a hard decision, to save your life.”

 

Sarah frowned.  “What are you talking about?”

 

“The garage, and this clinic and about 0.1% of the population are werewolves.”

 

Sarah stared at her.  Then giggled nervously, then said, “OK.  Apparently, I still have some brain damage, because I just heard werewolves instead of whatever you actually said.”

 

Nicole looked at Mac.  “Show her.”

 

Mac stripped down to his shorts and sort of … exploded, but only about six inches outward.  Suddenly, there was the classic movie monster werewolf where he had been standing. Sarah jumped out of her chair and backed up.  Molly looked completely relaxed.  The creature made the sort of whining talking noises Sarah associated with huskies.

 

Nicole nodded, “He says you don’t have to be afraid, you are part of his pack and he would never hurt you.”

 

Sarah was staring at him.  He was taller than Mac would be standing on his tip toes.  Which he kind of was since his feet had changed.  He had to be close to seven feet just now.  And suddenly hairy.

 

“How does that work?” she asked, allowing the small details to distract her from the fact that she was looking at a wolf man.  “Where does the hair come from?  Does it all fall out when you change back?”

 

Nicole nodded.  “It falls out and disintegrates.  It takes energy to change and grow the fur.  Generally, Loopers - that’s male werewolves - need about 6000 calories a day, if they are going to be changing back and forth.”

 

“Why is Molly OK with this?”

 

More doggy noises.  “He says the pack has been taking care of her for weeks, she is used to them already.” Nicole translated.

 

“You can understand that?”

 

“Oh, yes.  It is its own language.  It takes some practice, like learning any new language.  You will learn it eventually.”

 

Sarah fell silent, trying to process all of that.  “Can you change back now, please?”  He did.  “Does that hurt?”

 

Mac was watching her carefully.  “Nah.  It’s sorta like a full body sneeze.  If you’ve been one shape for a while, it feels good.  Like a really good stretch after sleeping in a bad bed.”

 

“That gang you were in… where they..” Sarah trailed off but nodded at Mac, “um… was that before or after you…”  she shrugged helplessly, unable to bring herself to say ‘became a werewolf.’

 

“Right before. If it were after, it would have healed up better.  My old alpha, he liked to mark his prey, then stalk them for a few weeks.  He was part of a knife gang in Glasgow in the 1920’s.  Him and Gus.  You don’t have to worry about him, though.  Marv-” Mac stopped abruptly.

 

“Marv what?” Sarah asked nervously.

 

Nicole stepped forward.  “Sarah, it’s ok.  You don’t have to be afraid, but I need you to understand that we can’t let werewolves go to prison.  They would infect the whole population.  We need to be very careful about letting people find out about us.”

 

“Marv killed him, didn’t he?”

 

Mac was still watching her.  “Yes.  He brought us to Marv’s territory and wanted the town.  He challenged Marv and lost.  Marv took in me and Gus.  The other two that had been in the pack went one county over and joined the pack there.  Loopers do best in packs.  You need someone to watch your back.  Marv is a good guy.  He actually cares if we are happy and taken care of.  Not everyone’s like that.”

 

Sarah sat down.  “You said Marv infected me.  How does that work?  Um... To be really specific, is this an STD?”

 

Nicole coughed and looked down for a moment to hide a smile.  “No.  It is transmitted by saliva into bone marrow at sites of stem cell production.  If you noticed the scarring on Mac’s knee, that’s where his infection happened.”

 

“But I don’t have any bite marks.”

 

“Nah, we know how it works now.  Gus used Marv’s drool and a meat syringe into your hip bone.”

 

Sarah stared at Mac in horror.

 

“Um…” he said. “You were already almost dead,” he added helpfully.

 

“That thing Craig said about me staying with you… That’s because I’m going to turn into a werewolf?”

 

The silence went on too long.

 

“That’s a yes, isn’t?  I have to go stay with the people who-”

 

“Who saved your life.” Nicole interrupted quickly. “And, no, you don’t have to stay with them.  But you do need to find some pack to stay with and Marv’s is pretty laid back.  It would probably be a good fit for you.”

 

Sarah took a breath and forced herself to relax.

 

Nicole asked, “Are you OK?  There is usually a lot more denial than this.”

 

Sarah shrugged, “To paraphrase my favourite author, ‘Some things are fairly obvious when it's a seven-foot werewolf telling you them’.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make the muse sing


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac and Marv's perspectives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing Drake Born's Advent Calendar of Werewolves...

#### September 9th, 2017 - Mac

Mac took Sarah back to the room they had been sharing.  Two twin hospital beds, two hospital dressers, a large four piece bathroom.  She followed him in silence.  Mac wasn’t sure what to say.  “It’s still me.  I’m still the person who read to you and-”

 

“Stop. Just stop!” Sarah blurted out.  “I need to think.”

 

Molly whined and headbutted Sarah’s hand.  Sarah absentmindedly scratched Molly’s head and gently pulled her ears.   “Is… everyone… I mean all of you that came to visit me in the hospital… are you all… infected?”

 

Mac considered this.  “I don’t really like the infected part, but we are all loopers, yes.”

 

“Loopers.  You sound like a bad Bruce Willis movie.”

 

Mac bristled, “We had that name first.  For hundreds of years before the movie came out.  It is the same word origin as lunar.”

 

“Ok.” Sarah wouldn’t even look at him.  “But my point is, living with werewolves.  What do I need to know?”

 

Mac shrugged.  “Nothing?  I mean we’re still people.  Umm… don’t panic if we play a little rougher than the guys you are used to.  You will pick up the language in no time.  Mostly we just run a garage and had a business building custom bikes for people.  We make sure we are good enough to get business, but not high profile enough to get unnecessary attention.”

 

He thought about it some more.  “If there is anything specific you wanna know, just ask.  I’m not good at subtle.”

 

“If I piss you off, will you change into a monster and eat me?”

 

Mac choked.  Oh god.  Get your mind out of the gutter, that is not what she means.  Don’t be creepy, just answer the question.  “Uh…  I promise not to eat you.  Unless you ask me to.”  Fuck.  Now she’s blushing.  Ugh, she smells even better when she’s blushing.  “Sorry.  No.  No one is going to eat you.  You don’t smell like food.”

 

“So, just normal people except you - we - turn into wolf creatures during the full moon?”

 

“No.  Full moon doesn’t really make a difference. We change when we want.  When we hunt or when-” Mac stopped.  He should really let Nicole handle this next bit, but now she was looking at him and she was going to ask and -

 

“Or when what?”

 

Mac looked out the window.  It was better than seeing her face right now.  “Um… You should talk to Nicole, maybe-”

 

“Just tell me.  It can’t be worse than I am imagining right now.”

 

Mac sighed, “Wanna bet?” He cringed as the smell of her fear flooded the room.  “We change, involuntarily, during sex. If your partner isn’t infected…. There is a … chance you might eat them.  Humes - that is other people smell like food when you’re changed.  That’s a big part of why Yennork - girl werewolves - are so valued.  You will never smell like food or prey.  And if you can stand us as people, our other shapes won’t be a problem for you.”  

 

He looked over his shoulder at her.  She was appalled.  “Look, we don’t mess about with that.  No one told Sean that.  Not point blank.  After he was turned he thought the ‘Don’t go home to your family’ thing was his alpha being a control freak.  So he went home to his wife Lori.”  Mac paused and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the windowsill.  “She didn’t make it and Sean was sent to stay with us because he was the prime suspect in her death.  Not because of the Looper thing, but because he was a vet and they thought he had a PTSD episode and killed her.

 

“It was an accident, but not that kind of an accident.” Mac concluded.

 

“Sean killed his wife?”

 

“Yeah.  He doesn’t like to talk about it. It was almost twenty years ago and he hasn’t forgiven himself.  He loved her more than anything.”

 

When Mac turned around, Sarah was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, staring at nothing.  Molly was on the bed at her feet.  The smell of her fear and uncertainty flooding off of her.  Fuck.  He messed up and broke a Yennork.  He was supposed to take care of her.  Of his Yennork.

 

His Yennork.

 

And just like that, something clicked and Mac knew exactly what he needed to do.  He projected calm and confident and, more importantly, starting dumping the pheromones that went along with that.

 

“It will be OK, Sarah.  We will take care of you.  We will help you figure this out.”

 

Mac may have sounded calm, but his mind was running in circles like a mouse trapped in a jar.  After a moment that went on way too long, Sarah gave a little sob and asked, “Can you come sit with me?”

 

Mac approached with the same caution he would give to any scared and wild creature.  He sat carefully on the bed, make sure he was close but not actually touching her.  Sarah wiggled around and lay down, her head in his lap, her arms around her dog.

 

“It will be OK.” Mac repeated, feeling quite a bit more confident this time.

#### September 14th, 2017 - Marv

Marv was looking at a calendar.  They were supposed to bring Sarah home tomorrow.  They needed Mac back, but this was shitty timing on adding a Yennork to the mix.  Mabon was the week after, and a new Yennork on site was practically ringing the dinner bell.

 

Marv was painfully aware that the world was a very holey place.  As he understood it, the word came first and spelling came later.  There were all sorts of religious sites all over the world that marked where the world was thin.  Where … things could come through from… other places.  Angels and demons and trolls and elves and, quite possibly, werewolves were just the labels humes gave to the creatures that fell through one reality into another.

 

Anytime you have a cluster of holy days, it was pretty much a warning that the world was a bit more dangerous for a few days.  People were safer huddled together.  After a while, they forgot why they were huddling and just remembered the warmth.

 

Marv’s patch attracted what he called elves.  Who knew what they called themselves.  They stole children.  Skinny bastards, allergic to iron, hadn’t took a single kid since Marv took over the territory.  Getting a Yennork settled into the pack was important.  But so was this.

 

He needed to talk to Craig. The bastards weren’t a threat if you could keep your head straight and not let them hypnotize you.  Thin, ethereal critters.  Bones like a bird’s.  Tasted like chicken.

 

Maybe shouldn’t mention that last bit to a newbie.

 

A lot of the stuff you found coming through was just plain weird. It wouldn’t surprise him, at this point, to learn that there had been an annual invasion of egg laying rabbits until the hume’s hunted them to extinction.  

 

There wasn’t ever a good time to introduce a new person, but you had to be extra careful with a Yennork.  Didn’t wanna spook the girl.  This was gonna take some planning.  And a giant gift basket for Nicole, who had not only explained things to Sarah but was also teaching her history and language for the last week.

 

He shoulda started earlier, but he wasn’t sure she was gonna make it.  They had set up one of the bedrooms for her.  This house was so old, it had an attic full of antiques.  Marv had no idea what her style was, but, for now, what she was getting was a Edwardian bedroom suite. Desk, high boy dresser, free standing wardrobe with a slightly rippled mirror, old bedstead that had been painted white.  The had hauled it down to the shop and used the sandblaster to strip the lead paint off of it.  Then they repainted it with automotive paint to match her car, glossy green with a slight gold iridescence.  It didn’t really match the burled walnut furniture, but it would have to do.  As would the mail order mattress they bought off the internet.

 

Craig had the weird ass idea not to paint the bed knobs.  He had seasoned them with a torch instead and masked them off during painting.  Marv thought he was off his rocker at the time, but the matte black contrasted nicely with the shiny green.   They had set her up in the house’s master bedroom.  It was had a private bathroom, which was also turn of the previous century,  But they had scrubbed more than 100 years of gunk off the marble floor and redone the grout.  They knew someone who could re-enamel the tub.  They toilet had been updated and the sink faucet.  It would just have to do.

 

It was a shame they hadn’t been able to get the fireplace working.  There should still be time before freeze up.  If she needed it.  The boys generally didn’t bother turning up the heat.  They weren’t home during the day and there was always the fur coat option at night.  As long as the pipes didn’t freeze, they were fine.  This year might be different.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t care that their pack was expanding, it was just that … Well, who knew if she was gonna stay.  No point in getting attached if she was gonna up and leave.  What was a girl with a degree in environmental studies gonna do in Bellmont?  Besides, he had responsibilities.  He couldn’t just let things slide because she was moving in.

 

Hell, she looked fifteen years younger than him, easy.  It wasn’t like when he was hume and that sort of thing was not just accepted but expected.

 

She seemed to like Mac.  Maybe she would stay ‘cuz of him, but Marv was under no illusion that he would get droit du seigneur like some of the pack leaders insisted on.  That was some serious bullshit right there, no matter what fancy french name you dressed it up in.  They said stuff like “biological imperative” and “maintaining alpha status.”  Bull Shit!

 

Marv hadn’t been happy about being raped by his maker.  Why in seven hells would he do that to anyone else?

 


	11. Culture Shock

#### September 18th, 2017

They had set up a room for her.  That was nice, but weird.  The furniture was old.  The bedding was new.  There was a desk set up with a stack of colouring books and fancy pens that she would have drooled over but not bought for herself.  But it was the carpet that was giving her some problems.

 

It was a hide, and that wasn’t what made her uncomfortable.  The thing was easily 9x12, plus well, six legs, two tails and two necks.  You could see where the creatures pattern had run down two backbones.  The only way to make any sense of it was if it had been four hides seamed together.  Sarah had looked for the seam a number of times, she couldn’t find it.  Plus she had no idea what creature was white and fluffy with orange zebra stripes.

 

Her door locked with an antique brass key.  Everyone has a room on the second floor, but it seemed like she was the only one who ever came up here.  She had no idea where the others slept, but she was the only one she could smell in the hallways.

 

That was new too.  Suddenly the world was like everyone was wearing too much perfume and she could tell who had been in a room in the last twenty four hours.  So far she was spending a lot of time alone in her room with Molly trying to adapt to all the smells.  

 

The guys didn’t smell bad, just overwhelming.

 

And they all had this kinda of dude-bro thing going on.  Maybe they were slightly less insecure than she would expect to go along with that title, but it was all beer and football and hunting and engine repair.  It didn’t actually leave much room for her to join the conversations.

 

The bottom line was, Sarah was lonely.  They guys had their lives organized and she just felt in the way.  She was pretty sure Mac would spend time with her, if she asked.  But she would have to interrupt the steady stream of conversation and ask for the attention.  She could see where they were trying, sort of.  They always invited her to watch sports with them after supper.

 

It was just that they never asked if there was anything she wanted to watch.

 

And she was pretty sure there wasn’t any overlap between her Netflix queue and theirs, anyway.

 

Sarah had never been a sports fan, but she was starting to think she was going to have to learn about football.

 

Or get used to reading in her room.  She wondered if she was allowed to ask them to get wifi.  Or her own groceries.  She missed fresh vegetables.

 

She had been given all new ID when she left the clinic, including a bank card and a Visa card.  But she hadn't tried them out since she had no idea how she would pay off the balance.

 

Maybe Marv would hire her to do oil changes in the garage. It wasn't hard, she had done all her own engine maintenance for ten years. While she could understand not letting her work on other people's cars, an oil change wasn't exactly difficult.

 

\----

 

“What?  Why the hell would you wanna do that?”  Marv was looking at her like she had mortally offended him.

 

Sarah flushed and avoided eye contact.  “I was just looking for a way to earn some money, that's all.  I thought…. Never mind. I'll see if the grocery store needs help.”

 

“What you need money for?”

 

Sarah could smell that he was angry. She cowered, involuntarily, but forced herself to answer, “I would like to buy my own groceries.”  She was trembling slightly now, and helpless to stop.

 

“Ya don't need to buy groceries. Just put want you want on the list and we'll buy them for ya.”

 

Sarah nodded and fled to her room.

 

She waited until they all went back to work after lunch, then snuck out the back way. He hadn't actually said she couldn't ask about a part time job.  The man at the grocery store said they could do with a night cleaner. She could start tomorrow night.  Eleven until two in the morning. Minimum wage. But she would also get 10% off at the store.

 

She would take it.

 

Afterwards, she took Molly for a long walk before going back to her room to wait for supper.   She had offered to help cook the first night, but had been firmly rebuked.  She was also not allowed to help with dishes.

 

Honestly, as far as she could tell her purpose here was purely decorative.  

 

Mac came up to call her for supper.  They always ate the last meal of the day in the formal dining room. The house was old enough to have a formal dining room and a breakfast nook on the east side of the house.  Lunch was in the kitchenette in the garage.  Everyone was waiting by their chairs, except Marv who was waiting by hers.  He always held her chair as she sat first.  Then he would sit down, then everyone else.  It was kind of ritualistic and creepy.

 

She passed the steak without taking one, but took two scoops of the green beans.  Sean was sitting on her left and he dumped a slab of meat on her plate before taking one.  She glared at it but didn’t say anything.  

 

Marv was three bites in to his steak when he announced,  “Sean’s goin’ for a supply run tomorrow.  You just let him know what you need.”

 

Sarah peaked up at him.  He was sitting at the head of the table and she was opposite of him.  Gus was to his right and Crain on his left, then Sean on her left and Mac on her right.  Marv was holding his knife aggressively in his right hand and his fork in his left.  Sarah was aware this was the correct way to hold your cutlery, but she was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to look ready to stab someone.

 

“It’s OK.  I’ll take care of it.  I’m going to help with the night stocking and cleaning at the grocery store.”  Everyone stopped eating to stare at her.  Marv looked pissed.  Sarah bowed her head.  “It will be good for me to have something to do and people to talk to.”

 

Everyone turned to look at Marv, except for Craig who demanded, “What’s wrong with talking to us?” at the same time Marv shouted, “I tole’ you, we would buy whatever you needed.”

 

Sarah stood up at that and leaned forward.  She pointed angrily at Craig, “Yeah, I’m sure you are an excellent conversationalist if I want to talk, football, motorcycles or hunting, but I don’t know anything about any of that, so it looks like I’m on my own for finding someone to talk climate change, chick flicks and politics with!” Then she turned to Marv.  “I appreciate the offer, but I want to pick out my own mangos and tampons, thank you. And,” here she turned on Sean, “I don't need people putting food on my plate. If I had wanted to eat cow for nine meals in a row, I would have taken some!”  

 

And with that she stormed off. Molly followed her up to her room a moment later.

 

The pack sat in stunned silence for a moment, then turned to Marv. He just sounded tired when he said, “Eat your supper.  I’ll deal with it.”

 

Sean cleared his throat.  “Uh… Marv? She isn’t trying to be insulting. It’s just that women expect to be independant these days.  It’s just going to take her awhile to get used to being…” Sean floundered for a moment, then went with, “kept.”

 

It maybe wasn’t the best word to choose.  Or maybe it was, because Marv stared at him for a moment.  “So, I’m supposed to just let her work some shit job in the middle of the night without a guard?”

 

Sean licked his lip as he thought for a moment.  “Um, well, she did rebuild that beetle, maybe you could put her on oil changes or something.”

 

\----

 

Marv waiting until dinner was finished and the boys were washing dishes before he climbed the stairs to Sarah’s room. He knocked politely, but was surprised that she unlocked the door before opening it.   It said something that she felt she needed to barricade herself in her room.  

 

She opened the door and announced, “Look, if you yell at me and it will probably make me wet my pants and no matter how entertaining you might find that, it won’t be good for the long term-”

 

“I’M NOT-”  Marv stopped and lowered his voice.  The girl was trembling.  He sighed. “I’m not gonna yell at you.  Sean says you don’t understand, so I’m gonna try to explain.  Takin’ care of you is my job.  If you need to work to buy food or… girl things, that means I ain’t doing my job.  That’s pretty damn insulting.”  He waited.  She wasn’t looking at him.  He wasn’t trying to be dominant, but the girl was enough smaller than him that he could see where he was threatening whether he wanted to be or not.

 

“If that’s your job, then what’s mine? Because so far all I do is sit around here waiting to be called for meals.  Like veal.”

 

“Yur supposed to do… lady stuff?” it sounded more like a question than he intended.

 

She frowned, ”Oh?  Like cooking and cleaning and-”

 

“No!  We won’t make you clean after us!”

 

“What then?”

 

Marv wasn’t sure what rich ladies did.  His wife took care of the cooking, cleaning and children. Often with a bunch of other women, now that he thought about it.  “Uh… Needlepoint?” he hazarded.

 

She stared at him in shock.  “You want me to do NEEDLE POINT?  What the hell would you do with it?”

 

Marv thought about that, “Damned if I know,” he admitted.

 

Now she peeked up at him.  “So, basically, you have me here and have no idea what to do with me?”

 

Marv prepared to bluff his way through this one, then he sagged.  “Basically, yeah.”

 

“But you won’t let me work in the garage and you won’t let me work at the grocery store?”

 

“Uh…  Maybe you could work at the garage.  Answering the phones or something…”  She was glaring at him again.  “Uh…  drive people home after they drop off their cars?  We could teach you how to do ordering, maybe.”

 

She closed her eyes and sighed.  “Well, it’s better than nothing.”

 

Marv watched her for a moment.  “I still don’t understand why you need your own money.  All the money from the garage goes into one account and we all just take what we need out of it.  You have a bank card on that account, why can’t you just use that?”

 

Now she stared at him in shock.  “Wow.  The IRS must love that.”

 

“No!  Everyone gets a pay stub and we all pay our taxes.  It’s just that everyone has their direct deposit set to the same account.  Then property taxes and power and groceries all come out of the one place.”

 

She was still staring at him.  “This is a commune?”

 

“I guess?  Can I either come in and sit down, or can we continue this discussion in the ballroom?  I don’t like standin’ in the hallway.”  She was watching him like she was trying to understand again.  “What?”

 

“The ballroom?”

 

“Yeah.  That’s where we installed the home theatre.”

 

“Where it is all TSN all the time.  Fitting.”

 

“Well, what you wanna watch?”

 

“The news?  John Oliver? Young Sheldon? Netflix?”

 

Marv had no idea what three out of four of those things were.  “You want I should get Mac to take you to the pictures?”  he offered.

 

Now she looked away.  “If Mac wants to take me to a movie, he’ll ask.  I don’t want you to just make him spend time with me.  I know I’m in the way, the job was supposed to be a way to minimize that.”

 

Marv frowned, “Ya aren’t in the way.  But you need to tell us when you need stuff.  Ain’t none of us know how to take care of a girl no more.”

 

She nodded.  “You go … do whatever you do, I’m going for a walk.”

 

“I don’t want you out alone after dark.”

 

“I’ll take Molly.”

 

“Invite one of the boys.  I’ll call Jerry at the store and explain that you aren’t gonna need the job.”  Her expression darkened.  “Since you’ll be working at the garage starting tomorrow,” he quickly added.

 

“Fine.”

 

She went back into her room for a sweater and Molly’s leash.

 

“Sarah?  We’re gonna need to figure this out together.  All of us.  It'll work better if you talk to me.”

 

She nodded as she stepped past him.  She locked her door on her way out, tucking the key in her pocket.  That stung a bit too, but it could wait for another day.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed the muse.


	12. The lost chapter - Craig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiny bit of clean up before the next section

It wasn’t that they were listening. It was just that they had good hearing. Plus Sarah and Marv where standing in the hallway. Sarah’s door was at the top of a grand staircase. There were excellent acoustics in that spot. So when she said she was going to invite one of the boys, there was a silent glaring match.

Craig won.

Mac wasn’t worried, he was pretty sure she was going to ask him.

She didn’t. She just opened one of the double doors of the ballroom and said, “I want go for a walk. Marv says I have to take one of you along. If you could rock paper scissors or whatever werewolves do…. I’ll wait on the porch for you to sort it out.”

That wasn’t even close to how they were expecting it to go. Nonetheless, Craig jumped up and followed her out.

“Thank you,” she said putting on her shoes.

Craig nodded. “I was raised a hunter. I had to learn to talk about football and motorcycles. I am old enough that I have seen climate change. Talking politics just makes me want to kill people. You will have to teach me about chick flicks. I am not afraid of buying you tampons, but I’m not sure how to choose a good mango.”

Sarah snorted. “No comment on the cow at nine meals in a row?”

Craig shrugged. “We need a lot of protein. Even the rabbits couldn’t keep up and we can’t forage too far while guarding the site.”

Sarah stopped walking and looked at him. “What site?”

Craig gave her a look. When he saw she had no idea what he was talking about he shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter, but think of us as guard dogs. The town and its people need guarding.”

“Guarding from what?”

“Elves.”

Sarah shook her head. “Fine. Don’t tell me. Nicole said 6000 calories a day. I am not that hungry.”

Craig shrugged. “It’s different for Yennork. We tend to eat a lot of junk food at the garage though.”

They walked in silence for a while. “Why don’t you have internet?”

Craig frowned. “I think Marv has something like that at the shop.”

“I mean in the house. Don’t were- loopers use Facebook?”

“I don’t know what that is. You should ask Sean.”

“Is Mac following us?”

Craig was impressed. “I didn’t think you would notice.” Craig thought for a moment. “Wanna go see a movie?”

“What movie?”

“We can choose one when we get there.”

“I didn’t see a theatre in town.”

“Nah. It’s about a hour away. Hour and a half, if you follow the speed limit.”

“Remind me to never ride with you. Ever.”

Craig snorted. “Faster reaction times. If you plan on sticking to the speed limit, you will have to be careful, because it will feel slower than you expect.”

“Maybe we can get Netflix and watch movies at home.”

Craig considered this. “Is that like VHS?”

“What? Are you messing with me?”

Craig grinned. Sarah laughed. Craig joined in. She had a nice laugh.

“It wasn’t that we were trying to make you feel left out. We just wanted to give you some space, didn’t want you to feel mobbed.”

Sarah had stopped walking. Molly was pulling gently at the leash trying to get her going again. Sarah reached down and scratched the dogs head. “Easy. We are waiting for Mac to catch up.”

Craig gritted his teeth, “If you wanted to go out with Mac, you should have said.”

“I don’t like being followed.”

Craig looked hard at her. Then he turned back the way they had come and hollered, “Oy! Piss off!”

Sarah gasped, then snickered. “Well, that’s one way to do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed the muse. Turkey with cranberries for preference.


	13. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Autumn Equinox causes problems for the pack

####  Friday, September 22nd, 2017

Sarah was furious.  Things had been going better.  Working at the garage was mostly busy work, but the point was it kept her busy.  The guys were trying to include her more.  Marv had actually called and booked an installer for internet in the house.

 

She had gone shopping with Sean and had actually bought food from all five food groups!  And not the five (protein, salty, starchy, sweet and greasy) she had been eating.

 

Then tonight, Marv had locked her in her room!  Actually locked the door and took the key.  He told she had to stay in her room away from the windows.  It wasn’t even like there was a full moon or anything!

 

It was annoying, but that wasn’t the worst part.  There was a storm outside and it wasn’t like she had any plans for the night.  Now the power had gone out.  It was dark and creepy and she was alone without any candles and the only flashlight she had was on her phone.  It was only eight o’clock and it was already dark outside.  And in the rainstorm, the house was getting cold, fast.  Sarah tried calling for help.  No one came to let her out.

 

She gave up and crawled under the covers with her kindle.  Molly crawled up on the bed and curled up in a corner were Sarah wouldn’t accidentally bump into her.

 

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but she did remember waking up to someone standing over her.  He looked like Marv, but he smelled nothing like Marv.  He smelled like rain and forest and moss.  But he looked … not exactly like Marv but very much like him.

 

“Come with me.”

 

“What?”  Sarah sat up.  She felt a little wobbly, like she had been drinking.

 

“Come wiTH me, SaraH.”   His voice was funny, with a soft echoing quality.  It changed volume like he was getting closer or further away, even though he wasn’t moving.  Sarah sat up.  Molly was laying on the bed, not moving.  “Come.”  He grabbed her left arm and pulled her out of bed and out of her room.  The door was unlocked and wide open.

 

The room swam as soon as he touched her.  It was all she could do to stay upright as he walked out of the house, into the rain.  Sarah wasn’t up to fighting, and her choice was to either follow or allow her arm to be dislocated.

 

She didn’t have any shoes.  Not Marv didn’t stop to let her grab a coat.

 

“I’m cold.”

 

“Come wiTH ME, sarAH!”  the end of her name sounded like a sigh.

 

The world blurred even further.  They headed into the woods.  At some point she became aware that her feet were bleeding.  “Hurts,” she whimpered.

 

“huSH, sarAH.  Come.”

 

They reached a place where the trees formed a perfect circle.  Not Marv strode forward.  Sarah shivered, her ears popped.  The air tasted like ozone.  She planted her feet.  Not Marv jerked to a stop.  

 

“Come!”  he demanded.

 

Sarah shook her head.

 

He hissed.  His teeth were like needles.  Sarah stared.

 

The thing tightened its grip on her arm, claws biting into her skin.

 

Sarah screamed, it turned into a howl.  The thing grabbed her throat with it’s other hand.

 

Sarah grabbed its throat and whirled around, bashing it into a tree.  It let go of her neck, but not her arm.  It looked nothing like Marv.  It was as tall as him, but famine victim, skeletally thin.  It was bleeding blue out of a head wound.  It weighed less than Molly.  Sarah grabbed a branch off the ground and bashed it in the face as it opened its mouth to speak again.  “Let go!” she screamed.

 

Dark shapes were loping towards them through the woods.  The creature tried to drag her into the ring of trees.  It just didn’t have the mass to move her.  Giant, 200 pound dogs pounced on them.  The biggest grey pitbull Sarah had ever seen bit the creatures arm and crunched down with its jaws.  Something scooped her up in its arms and started to run away from the circle of trees.

 

Sarah struggled.  It nuzzled her face.  It smelled like Mac.  She relaxed and looked at its face.  Classic wolfman, with an added scar on his cheek.  Sarah stroked the scar with her thumb.  They reached the house.  The lights were still out.  The door was wide open.  Mac didn’t go inside.  He set her down on the steps and pressed her against the iron railing, shielding her with his body.

 

He threw back his head and howled.  Voices answered him from the woods.  The giant dogs streamed past them moments later and surged into the house.  Sarah shivered and clung to Mac seeking warmth.

 

There was a noise from inside the house.  Mac scooped her up again and carried her into Marv’s study.  Someone was lighting a fire.  Mac set her down on the skin rug.  It could have been a bear skin, if bears were fifteen feet tall, and came in caramel coloured cheetah print.  Sarah looked around.  Three giant dogs, two wolfmen.

 

The one who had been lighting the fire left.  Mac started peeling her out of her soaking pajamas.  Sarah tried pushing his hands away.  

 

“ _ Dry clothes are coming. _ ”  

 

She could barely understand that strange language that could be spoken in any shape, but she did understand that.  She shivered and nodded and tried to help.  Her pants were sticking to her legs.  Someone was licking the scratches on her arm.  She frowned at him.  “Sean?” she asked.

 

The dog grinned and licked her face, before going back to licking her arm.

 

Someone was sniffing her crotch, she squirmed away and kicked out.  There was a yelp and it stopped, but then someone started licking her feet.  She was stuffed into a shirt that smelled like Marv and wrapped in a blanket.  Someone set Molly down next to her.  Sarah stroked her dog.  Molly was breathing but not moving.

 

“ _ She will be fine in the morning. _ ”

 

Three warm, furry shapes piled on top of her and two left.  Sarah’s skin burned as she got warm.  Unable to move, she passed out.

 

####  Saturday, September 23rd, 2017

“Time to wake up, girl.”  Someone was shaking her awake.  Her head hurt and she felt vague nauseous.  “Up ya git.  I brought water and a bucket.”

 

That got her to pry her eyes open in confusion.  Opening her eyes got her promptly up on all fours, using the bucket.  Then she took the water bottle, rinsed her mouth and spat.

 

“Ugh.  How’s Molly?”

 

“Bout the same as you.  Craig carried her out to the yard before she woke up.”

 

Sarah sat back on her heels in child’s pose.  “What the hell happened last night, Marv?”

 

He didn’t say anything.  She looked up at him.  He sighed.  “Elf got into the house.  It’s gone now.”

 

“It looked like you!”

 

Marv’s eyes narrowed, “Did it, now?” Sarah fliniched. Marv forced himself to relax.  “Think you could eat some breakfast?”

 

Sarah nodded and pushed herself upright.  “Do I have time to get cleaned up first?”

 

“If you hurry.”

 

She took the bucket and headed towards the stairs up to her room.  Then she stopped.  A quick internal pep talk wasn’t enough to get her up them, so she went to the bathroom on the main floor and had a quick clean up in there.  There was a housecoat hanging on the back of the door.  It smelled a bit like everyone.  She put that on and went to the breakfast nook.

 

Everyone else was dress and setting the table.  They stopped to look at her.

 

“You got time to go put on clothes,” Marv said.  “It’ll be another five minutes or so.”

 

Sarah blush and ducked her head.  “I couldn’t quite manage the stairs,” she said, feeling embarrassed.

 

Now everyone went very quiet.  After a long moment, Marv asked, “Saw it shredded your feet.  It hurt your legs too?”

 

Sarah shook her head without looking at him.  “I just…  I know it’s stupid, but I feel like it’s still up there.” She shuddered.  “I don’t want to go find traces of it in my space.”

 

Mac moved up close to her but didn’t touch her.  “Sarah?”  When she looked at him, he opened his arms. 

 

She flung herself into the hug and had a little cry on his chest.  He hugged her tight and rubbed her back.

 

Marv cleared his throat.  “We’ll all go check it out, together.  After breakfast.”

 

Sarah nodded.  She let go of Mac.  Marv held her chair.  Everyone sat down to breakfast.  Mac passed her a bowl of fruit salad, followed by a bowl of yogurt.  She skipped the steak and eggs. When the plate of toast got to her, she laughed.

 

“What?” Craig demanded.  He had been on kitchen duty that morning.

 

Sarah looked up at him and frowned.  “What happened to you?”  He flushed a little everyone but Marv either snickered or coughed.

 

Craig ignored the question. “What’s wrong with the toast?”

 

Sarah smiled.  “Nothing.  A whole stack of white bread toast and two pieces of multigrain?  Nothing is wrong, I appreciate the effort.” He nodded, so she continued.  “What happened to your neck? And why do you have a black eye?”

 

Craig hung his head but didn’t answer.

 

Marv cracked his neck.  “It turns out the bruise on his throat is what happens when he got too close to a Yennork without asking.  The black eye is what happens when I found out he got too close without asking.”

 

Sarah frowned.  “I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.”

 

“So don’t worry about it.” Marv said.

 

Craig said, “It won’t happen again.”

 

Sarah said nothing but took a thoughtful bite of her toast.

 

\----

 

They were all on the stairs, looking back at her.  Sarah took a deep breath, gritted her teeth and took a firm hold of the banister.

 

Marv came back down the stairs and stood next to her.  “We checked your room.  It’s fine.  You need to be able to do this.”

 

“I know.’ Sarah said softly.

 

Marv offered her his hand.  She took it.  They walked up to her room together.

 

When they got to her room, the smell made her gag. Craig nodded, “They do stink, don’t they.”  

 

Sean opened the window.  Sarah walked forward and started stripping the bed.  As she pulled back the blankets, Gus grabbed her hand.  He lead her two steps away.  “Elf shot.”

 

“What?” Sarah asked.  She looked at the bed.  There was something that looked like a fossilized shark tooth in her bed.  The boys were all staring at it.  Mac turned around and ran out.  He was back a moment later with a tin can and a pair of kitchen tongs.  He carefully picked it up and dropped it into the can.

 

“What was that?”

 

“Elf shot,” Gus repeated.  “Razor sharp and they dip them in a hallucinogenic poison.” 

 

Sarah stared at him.  “Is that why it looked like Marv?”

 

Gus was trying not to grin, “No.  That is different.”

 

“Don’t laugh at me!  I don’t know these things!”

 

Marv glared at Gus.  “Ain’t you he’s laughing at.  What do we have, not in this room that she can wear?”

 

Craig nodded to the wardrobe.  “Iron knobs and the door sticks, it wouldn’t have gotten in there.”  He opened the wardrobe and sniffed.  “It’s clean.”

 

Marv nodded, “Sarah, pick out what you need and go get dressed in one of the other rooms.  Gus and Mac will take you shopping for new bedding.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays


	14. Travelling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very much not beta read. Written on my phone between holiday events.

Sarah got dressed in Marv’s study.  She checked on Molly, who was fine, and headed toward the front door.  The boys had put on their leather jackets and boots.  Gus handed her Sean’s.  Sarah leaned back.  “I don’t think so.”

 

“We won’t all fit in your car.  You aren’t up to driving for a few days.  You can ride behind me or Mac, but you are wearing the gear.”

 

Sarah crossed her arms.  

 

Gus was fighting not to grin.  “Look, you can’t stay here, they are going to be searching the house again.  You will be in the way. Craig isn’t allowed to take you anywhere for a good long while and Sean is nervous being alone with you.  That leaves me an’ Mac and they are going to be burning your bedding pretty damn quick here.  So… Unless you are planning on sleeping with one of us tonight, we gotta go get you some new things.”

 

“We could take the tow truck.”

 

“They might need it while we’re away.”  Mac reasoned.  “Look, I could drive your car and Gus could take his bike.”

 

Sarah’s eyes narrowed.  “My car, I drive.”

 

Gus threw a helmet at her.  “So then, saddle up.”  Sarah put on the jacket. Gus nodded.  “Off you go, I’ll catch up.”  After watching them head out the door, he went down to the safe in the cellar and took six stacks of bills, stuffing them into various pockets.  That should just about do it.  He made a note to tell Marv so they could put in back later.

 

\----

 

Sarah had a death grip on Mac.  Even though he promised to go the speed limit, she wasn’t happy on a donorcycle.  They followed Gus as he pulled into a Toyota dealership in Plattsburg.

 

Sarah pulled off her helmet and stared at him as he walked into the building.  “What are you doing Gus?”

 

“Buying you a truck.”

 

“Nope.  No, you certainly are not.”

 

“You don’t like riding on the bike.  Fine.  We’ll get something big enough to hold people, not just tiny little girls.”

 

“Hey!”

 

A salesman oiled up to Gus, “What can I help you find today, sir?”

 

Gus looked at Sarah and raised an eyebrow.  “Do you want to choose?  Or do you want to be stuck with the one I pick out?”

 

Sarah crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.  “I look for three things in a vehicle and none of them are available here.  I want green, I want round fenders and I want a straightforward engine I can maintain myself.”  She stopped for a moment.  “If we are going to get a truck, a 1940’s or early 1950’s International would be my favourite.”

 

“Lots of maintenance on those, Ma’am.  They may look pretty, but they are hard to get parts for and our trucks come with a 60 month powertrain warranty.” Salesman Jim said.

 

Sarah glared at him.  “We work in a garage.  If I get an old truck, I can do my own maintenance.  If we get a new one, I have to drive in everytime it needs anything.”

 

“If we buy one of these, you can drive it off the lot.” Gus reasoned. “Otherwise, you are stuck on the bike for the ride home until we can source one.”

 

“You said I can’t drive today. If you get a truck, I won’t be able to test drive it.”

 

“More steel in an old truck.” Mac added.

 

“Our trucks have an excellent safety rating.” Jim countered.

 

“If we get a one ton,” Mac said thoughtfully, “We could carry the bikes on it.”

 

“Feck.” Gus said.  “Jim, piss off for a moment.  I need to talk with my family.”

 

Jim wandered off.  Gus lowered his voice and growled at Mac, _“If we buy a truck now, we can get all the things we need, load them up into the truck and drive home.  The safety component is a big thing.  If we don’t buy a truck now, then we need to borrow one from Rob, which means, she will have to meet their pack.”_

 

_“Isn’t she gonna have to meet them anyway?  I mean, she’s here.”_

 

 _“They can wait until_ Marv _brings her.”_

 

Sarah cleared her throat.   _“Why no meet pack now?”_ her accent was terrible, but she was understandable.  Both boys turned to stare at her.

 

It was Gus who answered, _“They will try to get you to stay with them.  Look, you don’t have to get a truck here.  Anywhere in town except_ Ford _because their parts are a problem.  Understand?”_

 

Sarah nodded.

 

_“If you want an old truck, we can arrange that later.  For now, we want a safe truck.”_

 

Sarah gave a resigned sigh.   _“Much money here.”_

 

_“We’ve been working for a long time, we aren’t worried about it.  Just pick one you can live with.”_

 

Sarah pulled out her phone.  “You go talk to Jim.  Pick out the one you like.  I want to read up on the internet for a few minutes.”  She walked over to the arm chairs near the coffee maker and sat down.  She read reviews, she checked stock in other dealerships in town.  She went over to where Gus was making Jim look like an idiot by asking extremely technical questions.

 

“Fine.  Which one do you like?”

 

Gus pointed.  “That one.  If it fits you they can have it ready for pick up in two hours.  And if Jim doesn’t get too greedy when he’s pricing it out.”

 

Sarah climbed in.  “Can I get one without leather seats?”

 

“No.” Gus said firmly.  “Can you reach the pedals?”

 

“I feel ridiculous, but I can reach the pedals without being too close to the air bag.”

 

“Ok.  You go with Mac.  I’ll see what I can sort out with Jim here.”  He gave Sarah the most predatory smile she had ever seen.  She suddenly felt very sorry for Jim.

 

Mac took her shopping. They got all new bedding.  Sarah could see that the truck thing must have been planned all along, because there was no way they were going to be carrying all of this back on a bike.  When they were finished, Sarah was exhausted.  Mac paid and left the pile with the clerk to be picked up later. Then he took Sarah for lunch.

 

They were just about to order when Mac pulled up in the truck, with his bike loaded in the back.  Sarah didn’t say much through lunch.  The guys made small talk about sports ball.  Mac gave Gus the receipt for the bedding and headed off.

 

On the way out of town, Gus tried to explain about elves.  Sarah tried to understand.  “So… they are space aliens or demons or creatures from another dimension and they steal people?”

 

“Yes.  Usually preschoolers, but sometimes others.  Occasionally people come back, but not very often.”

 

“It knew my name.”

 

“Yeah.  Came for you to piss off Marv.  He takes it personal when they get past him.  They figure if the kid isn’t a friend of the pack, they are fair game.  He doesn’t see it that way.”

 

“How’d you end up guarding a hellmouth?”

 

Gus snorted, “I guess that’s one name for it.  My old pack was sent.  We were at Hadrian’s Wall, which was originally built for the same reason.  Our alpha ...” Gus paused searching for the right word, “was unpleasant.  So The Black sent us to guard this site in the middle of nowhere instead.  One day, Marv and Craig were passing through and the alpha demanded payment for traveling through his territory.  Marv wasn’t willing to pay.  So he killed him and took the pack.”

 

Sarah gasped.

 

“He killed someone because he didn’t want to pay a toll?”

 

“He killed someone because he wasn’t going to let the local alpha try to rape Craig in exchange for traveling through.”

 

Sarah stared at him in horror.  “If that’s a joke, it isn’t funny.”

 

“It isn’t a joke.”

 

“Is this the same guy that carved you and Mac.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Sarah thought about that.  If this guy carved up his own pack and thought it was perfectly OK for alphas to allow their pack members to be raped, what did that say about his sexual habits with his own pack?  She wasn’t ready to actually ask that question.  What she did ask was, ”Was that before or after Sean was sent here?”

 

“Before.  The Black wouldn’t have sent Sean to stay with the previous alpha.”  He could smell Sarah’s anxiety.  “Look, the treaty gives protection to Yennork.  It doesn’t offer that same protection to other pack members.  The idea is that we can either leave or kill the alpha if he is abusive, but it doesn’t always work that way.  You are absolutely safe, no matter what.  As for the rest of us, Marv takes good care of his pack.”

 

“He hit Craig.”

 

“Yes.  We aren’t supposed to be sniffing you without an invitation.  Craig tried to take advantage of you being distracted.”

 

“So Marv hit him.”

 

Gus shrugged.  “Agh, lass, you have no idea how good you smell.  Craig said it was worth getting kicked in the throat.  That’s when Marv punched him.”

 

Sarah shifted uncomfortably.  “Do I need to worry about that?”

 

Gus shook his head.  “Yennork are protected.  Just know that if you are ever feeling… lonely, any of us would be willing to help you out.”

 

Sarah blushed and turned on the radio.  Gus chuckled softly to himself.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please.


	15. Chapter 15

Sarah had fallen asleep in the truck on the ride back from Plattsburgh.  She woke up to Marv calling her name as Gus and Sean unloaded sheets, pillows, a duvet, a throw blanket and new curtains from the backseat of the truck.  She blinked and yawned.  “Sorry,” she said.

 

“It’s fine.  C’mon.  Got something to show you.”

 

They had been busy while she was away.  The single bedroom door to her room had been replaced by a set of french doors with frosted glass.  Instead of the usually wood grid on the windows, there was ornate iron work in the shape of a tree with the moon in the branches.  The door knobs appeared to be iron as well.

 

“Whoa.”

 

Marv gave a half grin.  “You like it?”

 

“Are you kidding?  It’s gorgeous!”

 

“Good.  Our resident blacksmith made them for you.”

 

Sarah frowned.   “What?  In the five or six hours we were gone?”

 

“Nah.  I started them the day after you slipped.  Just finally got them installed.”  Sarah was looking at him in shock, so Craig added, “What?  We came here looking for bog iron.  What did you think I did?”

 

“I have no idea what you are talking about.  What is bog iron and why were you and Marv looking for it?” Sarah asked.

 

They all stared at her.

 

Craig cleared his throat.  “That isn’t really important.  Um… I did make you a bracelet today.  It’s iron.  It will keep the elves away.  Uh…  it’s made so that you need two hands to open the clasp.  That way no one will be able to talk you into taking it off.  But…”  he trailed off.

 

“But wearing it implies you will be staying with our pack.” Marv finished.  “We don’t want to be misrepresenting the gift.”

 

Sarah looked at him.  “I hardly know you.  Is this a ‘til death do us part’ thing or is taking it off like getting a divorce?”

 

Everyone tensed at that.  Marv cleared his throat.  “You can leave anytime you want.  We don’t own you.  But if you get to feeling unhappy, please let us know before it gets that bad.  We aren’t trying to run you off.”

 

Sarah nodded and held out her left hand.  She watched his face as Craig carefully fastened it around her wrist.  This was significant for him in a way she couldn’t understand.  The look on his face was a little overwhelming.  Marv put his hand on Craig’s shoulder.  Craig took a step back.

 

“Something I need to know?”  Sarah asked, trying to keep her voice light.

 

Craig shook his head and hurried down the stairs without saying a word.

 

Sarah watched him go.

 

“You did good last night, gir- Sarah.” Marv said.  “We’re all real proud of you.”

 

Sarah frowned and turned back to look at him.  “I got abducted.  How is that anything to be proud of?”

 

Gus was shaking his head.  “No.  You fought. You followed Marv and when you knew it weren’t him, you fought and called for help.”

 

“You also knew the elf shot was there, even when we missed it.” Sean added.

 

“I don’t remember calling for help.”

 

“You remember screaming, yeah?” Mac said.  “That was a call for help and we heard it.”

 

“If you had told me I might be abducted by shapeshifters, I would have been prepared to fight it in the house.” Sarah said, unable to keep all the accusation out of her voice.

 

“Yup.  I shoulda told you.  I was thinkin’ you had enough to deal with suddenly learnin’ werewolves are real.  Wasn’t sure you were ready to deal with elves, too.”

 

Sarah considered this.  “I’m going to go check on Molly.”

 

They all nodded and backed away from her a little.  “She could do with a walk.”  Marv suggested.

 

“Is this where you tell me to take one of the boys with me?”

 

Marv shrugged.  “Stay out of the woods, or take someone with you.  You’ll be fine in town.”

 

\----

 

Whoever was on dinner duty had cooked a full turkey dinner.  Sarah was surprised.  Then she realized she would be surprised if there were any leftovers.   She was stirring the gravy into her mashed potatoes and trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say without it getting weird.

 

“Spill it.” Marv said.  Sarah looked up.  “Something is bothering you,” he continued.  “Just say it and get it over with then will figure out how to fix it.”

 

Sarah cleared her throat.  “I’m not sure if it is rude to ask or not.”

 

There was an assortment of bemused noises from around the table.  “We ain’t shy.  Just spit it out.”

 

“When you are…. in another, um, shape, is it still you?”  Now they were staring at her.  “Yeah.  Rude.  Sorry.”

 

“Not rude… I’m just not sure I know what you’re asking.”

 

Sarah looked at Sean then back at her plate.  “I don’t know what I’m asking.”

 

“I don’t remember eating Lori.” Sean said softly.  “But I was just turned and I couldn’t control the change yet.  These days, I’m always me.”

 

Sarah kept looking at her plate, aware that her ears were burning in a way that suggested she was bright red.  She just shook her head, no.  Nicole had been very clear that everyone changed to combat form during sex and that Sarah had to be prepared for that.  It was psychologically hard on people to suddenly be either fucking a wolf creature or suddenly be a wolf creature when you weren’t expecting it.  She pointed out that a lot of Loopers found it easier to change first, if their partners could tolerate that.

 

Everyone was silent.  “If that wasn’t what you wanna know, then what are you asking?”

 

Sarah pushed at her potatoes and thought some more.  “Nicole had Mac show me his combat form and she explained about the War Dog form… that was what you were last night, right?”

 

She didn’t look up to see Marv glaring at Craig.  “Yeah.”

 

“And… uh… you still talk in all three shapes, that’s why there’s a special language, right?  Talking means thinking… so… is it still you thinking or is it different?”

 

Marv leaned back.  “Both.  It’s still me, but I’m more aware of smells and less aware of colours.  Everything gets evaluated for threat level or prey potential.  After a while we train ourselves to be like that in all three forms.”

 

Sarah nodded and peeked up at him for a moment.  “Thank you,” she said softly.

 

“That tell you what you wanted to know?” Marv asked.  Sarah nodded.  “Can you tell me why you were asking?”

 

She shook her head.  “It’s stupid.”

 

“Doubt it.  It will help us understand where your head is at with everything.”

 

Sarah ate her turkey in silence for a few minutes. “After last night, I don’t want to be alone in my room, but I don’t want someone who is going to see it as a sex thing staying with me.  I wouldn’t invite some guy I barely knew for a sleepover, so I guess that applies to werewolves too.”

 

Marv gritted his teeth.  How could he even try to tell her that none of them would try anything when last night Craig sorta had? She locked herself in her room at night.

 

Mac cleared his throat. “Sarah?  You could come sleep in our room, if you want.”

 

She frowned at him.  “None of you ever sleep in your rooms.  I would have noticed.”

 

Gus shook his head. “We tend to sleep in a pile in the room that used to be the parlour.”  He realized she was giving him a curious look. “Room was big enough, so we put down four king sized mattresses.  It’s easier to just… put on a fur coat and sleep in a pile than to heat the whole house at night.”

 

“Can I think about it?” she asked.

 

“Of course.” Marv said smoothly, interpreting that as a no.

 

After supper, Sarah went back to her room and learned that the new doors didn’t lock.  On one hand, that meant that Marv couldn’t ever lock her in again.  On the other, it meant she couldn't lock the boys out.  

 

Boys.  Why did she think of them that way?  They weren’t boys, they were grown men.  She had picked up on Marv referring to them that way and it made the whole thing less scary.  But, no, she was living in a house with five strange MEN, who could change into monsters at will.  Why was she just going along with that?  She should be running away.

 

Could she even run away?  Would they end up just tracking her like bloodhounds?  Nicole’s set up at the clinic seemed pretty advanced.  It sounded like they had a network of Loopers all over the world.  And what the hell was bog iron?

 

She read the wikipedia article, but it made no sense.  She was sure Mac had said he was infected in the seventies in England.  Gus had said their pack was sent to New York state after Mac had joined.  Why would Marv and Craig be looking for bog iron in the late 1900’s?  She rubbed her bracelet with her thumb and tried to think.

 

None of this made any sense.

 

It was getting dark out.

 

Sarah shivered and wished she had more lights to turn on.  If she strained her ears, she could hear the sounds of TV coming from downstairs.

 

She pulled on another pair of socks and took her kindle downstairs.  When she crept into the room everyone turned to look at her.  It was unnerving.  There were five recliners in various shades of man cave and nowhere else to sit.  Oh.  She turned to leave.

 

“Hey!  Sarah?” Sean called.  “Come take this chair, I’ll go get another one.”

 

She shook her head.  “It’s OK, I’ll find somewhere else to read.”

 

Suddenly everyone was standing up.  She took a step back.  Marv said, “We’ll just get one of the chairs out of the library.  It’ll only take a minute.”

 

They didn’t come back with a chair, they came back with a very vintage leather couch.  The button tucks were fairly aggressive.  This was an old house and all the furniture was old.  She wondered how long it had been owned by werewolves.  The newest furniture she had seen outside of her room was the recliners and they were garage sale grade.  Everything else was antique except the TV, which was state of the art.

 

After a brief frenzy of furniture moving, Sarah settled in on the couch.  Molly jumped up next to her.  Sarah gave Marv a quick glance to see if he was going to object.  He just shrugged.  Sarah relaxed a little and opened her kindle.

 

Sean and Marv were arguing sports stats and tossing a football back and forth from their chairs at either end of the room.  The couch had been placed outside the line of fire.  It was near where Gus was knitting.  Sarah’s grandmother had knit, but not like this.  The only thing she could think of was that Gus did some sort of [ freaky werewolf knitting ](https://youtu.be/1OKVgXdKlRU) .   [ It was weird ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGEkkpAbRdc).  Mac and Craig were playing some sort of Zombie killing game on the TV.

 

Sarah suddenly had the terrible urge to ask if Zombies were real too, but she didn’t want to sound stupid.  And if they were, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Sarah looked up to see Gus watching her.  She shrugged, then nodded. “Easier not to heat the whole house, right?”

 

Marv made his catch without even looking.  “Your room getting cold?”

 

Sarah startled.  “Um…  a bit.”

 

“Sorry about that.  We’ll get you a heater in the morning.”

 

Sarah nodded carefully.  Craig didn’t take his eyes off the screen when he added, “That doesn’t mean you aren’t welcome here.  It just means we want you to be warm.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just bear with me here on the truck thing. Yes, it is a bribe. No, it isn't going to work. Yes, there is a plan for it to be important in a later chapter. No this isn't like 50 Shades, Sarah is going to hate the truck and keep her bug.
> 
> Comments?


	16. Five Dog Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gus chooses his language carefully

####  Saturday, September 23rd, 2017, 11pm

Gus got up and went to the kitchen.  He put the kettle on and dug in the cupboard for the pineapple weed he had harvested that summer.  Sarah wasn’t reading.  She was sitting where the people were staring at a pretend book.  Her eyes weren’t tracking the text.  She was very still.  The whole thing looked a bit like shock.

 

And she was more than entitled to be in shock.  It was just that now they had to deal with that.  The ride into Plattsburgh, she hadn’t held on to Mac as tightly as Gus would have liked.  The truck was a vague idea he wasn’t going to insist on when they left Bellmont, but the girl wasn’t good on the back of a bike.  Plus, having her fall asleep in the cab on the way home had confirmed that he made the right choice.

 

Likewise, he could understand her not wanting to be alone after last night.  The problem was none of them were going to insist she bunk down with them tonight and Gus was pretty sure she wasn’t going to on her own.  That left them in the awkward position where they were all waiting for her to go to bed before they would and she was avoiding sleep as hard as she could.

 

What was supposed to happen here was Marv telling her to either go to bed or come to bed.  But he wasn’t going to do that.  He also wasn’t going to be happy if anyone else did.  Gus was going to have to be careful how he did this.  Language was important.  He knew that.  He also knew how to use that in his favour.  He made two cups of tea, each with an added a spoonful of honey and a shot of the whisky he had won from Craig in about a day and a half.

 

Heading back to the ballroom he held out both mugs and let Sarah choose one.  She took a sip and coughed and said, “I think I got yours by mistake.”

 

“Nah.  It’ll keep you warm on a cold night.  You’ll be wanting to find a pair of pajamas and a blanket before you come to bed tonight.  We’ll need a few minutes to get changed, but we can do that while your washing up.”

 

Sarah turned tired eyes on him and nodded.

 

Marv started to say something, Sean hit him with the football.

 

“Wanna go see where we sleep?” Gus asked.  Sarah nodded again and got up off the couch. Gus took a gulp of his tea, then lead the way. “It’s at the front of the house.  The parlour was where the lady of the house would entertain guests for tea.  It’s right near the front door.  Since we sealed up the rest of the doors, it is a good place to guard from.  It’s right across from Marv’s office.”

 

“Where’s the library?”

 

“Ah.  That will be Marv’s office as well.  Lots of books from the first owners of the house.  Medical books from the late 1800’s early 1900’s.  They are a laugh, when you are of a mind to read them.  A leather bound encyclopedia from 1917. The books on botany aren’t too bad, but I wouldn’t trust the one on mushrooms.”

 

Sarah had gotten that quiet thoughtful posture that generally meant things were about to go wrong.  Feck.

 

“I took the couch out of Marv’s office?”

 

“Nah.  He gave it to you.  We aren’t up to decorating.  I don’t think he would mind if you wanted to rearrange things abit.”

 

“This is Marv’s house?”

 

OK, now they were stearing back towards danger.  “Aye.  The alpha’s name is always on the title.  Unless a Yennork claims the house, then, well, I guess it would be yours.”  Sarah stared at him.  “Women always own the house.  Dinna Nicole tell you that?  That’s why you hae the big bedroom.”

 

Sarah shook her head.  “No.  She never said.”

 

Gus just shrugged, not wanting to get into the details.  Technically, she could claim the house, the business and all the assets of the territory and kick them all out on their arses.  It would be a stupid and dangerous move.  She wouldn’t be able to hold it on her own.  He wasn’t sure she fully understood that though.  Everyone was focusing on Craig’s violation of the treaty and ignoring that Marv had completely crossed the line when he locked her in and left her unattended.

 

They were only getting away with any of this because she was new and wasn’t confident enough to claim her rights.  Gus had heard plenty of stories of Yennork who had arranged for their packs to be purged for far weaker reasons than either of those.

 

Sarah was looking around the parlour now.  There wasn’t much to see.  Heavy velvet drapes that were probably due for a cleaning. A three foot or so perimeter around the edge of the room.  Four king sized mattresses pushed together in the center of the room.  The fitted sheets matched because they just ordered from a hotel supplier.  Between the drool and the claws and the…. bodily fluids, sheets didn’t last long around here.  After Mac had suggested she sleep here, he and Gus had made sure the beds sheets were clean.

 

It helped that Molly just walked into the room, found her preferred corner and curled up with a sigh.  Sarah looked surprised at that.

 

“She slept in here with us every night when you were in the hospital.  She likes the space near the fireplace.  There is a bit of a draft over there.  The room gets a bit… warm with all of us in here at night.”

 

Sarah nodded.

 

“Did you want to go get cleaned up then?” Gus asked, still being very careful with his word choices.  She nodded again.  He took her empty tea cup.  “I’ll take these to the kitchen and see you in a few minutes, yeah?”

 

Nod. She turned to leave and froze on the threshold for a moment.  Of course, just because he was careful, didn’t mean his pack mates weren’t daft.  They were all lining the hallway so she had to walk passed them on her way to her room.  Feck.  That was going to make it harder for her to come back.

 

And, oh jaysus!  Marv was gonna say something!

 

Craig wasn’t a total idjit, he elbowed his alpha in the ribs when Marv opened his mouth.  If Sarah noticed, she ignored it.  Gus breathed a sigh of relief with the breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

 

Marv waited until they heard her door click shut.  Then he turned on his second and angry whispered, “What the hell was that?”

 

“I’m making her feel welcome.  We bin doing a piss poor job of that.  I dinna say she had to, I dinna even invite her.  All I did was show her where we sleep.  IF she turns up, that’s all on her.  We just have to be not scary so she can stay.” And with that, Gus pulled of his shirt and tossed it in the corner.  His pants quickly followed.  He was dog shaped before Marv could add anything to that.  Mac and Craig quickly followed.

 

Marv glared at them. “Because she is going to want to sleep with a pack of wolves, right?”

 

Gus shook his head.  It was harder with how his neck worked now and made his ears flap.   _ “She said she wouldn’t sleep with strange men or werewolves.  Didn’t say anything about dogs.” _

 

_ “As much as you are sure I now have asshole tattooed on my forehead,”  _ Craig added, _ “she hasn’t treated me that way.” _

 

Sean smelled uncertain.  Marv considered all of this then patted the man’s back.  “Sounds like it’s time to change for bed, son.”  After Sean had shifted, Marv picked up the tea cups that Gus hadn’t gotten to the kitchen and left.  

 

Gus closed his eyes and prayed to whatever gods might be listening that this worked.  It might.  She was wearing the socks he made her.  She had accepted the bracelet from Craig.  Even little things like falling asleep in the truck while alone with him were encouraging.  She smelled nervous and uncomfortable a lot of the time, but she wasn’t often scared.  She had been scared when she came into the ballroom tonight.  But she had moved past that shortly after settling on the couch.

 

Things had been better since she started working in the garage.  He knew that made Marv uncomfortable, but it made her happy.  Their alpha was going to absolutely choke the first time she insisted on paying for something, but Sean was already working on him about that.

 

He settled down on the mattress to wait.  The others followed his lead.  In the quiet they could hear Marv checking the house to make sure everything was locked up tight and all the lights were turned off.  They heard Sarah’s door open and closed.  Craig sat up.   _ “Lay down, you dummy,” _ Gus whispered.

 

She was wearing flannel pajamas, a terry bathrobe, two pairs of socks and was wrapped up in the fuzzy throw blanket they had bought her that morning.  She picked her way around the edge of the room and sat down in the far corner.  That was interesting.  She was choosing to have them between her and the door.  Girl was more afraid of the elves than she was of them.  Well, it was a start.

 

Marv was going to say something about her sleeping on the floor though.  Aw, hell.  Well, here goes nothing.   _ “Come to bed.” _ She looked up at that.   _ “Sleep here.”   _ He nosed the mattress near where she was sitting, then backed away.   _ “Please,” _ he added.

 

She watched him for a long moment.  He wasn’t sure if she knew that the eye contact was rude, but he ducked his head politely anyway.  She got up and inched forward and sat on the mattress.  That’s when he realized her problem.  In the corner, she could sleep leaning against the wall.  Here she had to lay down.  He wasn’t sure what to do about that.

 

Mac was.  The boy flopped over and wiggled around like he was scratching his back.  Belly up, tongue lolling, he looked ridiculous.  Sarah fought the smile and lost.  Then she curled up on her side and called Molly over.  Dog at her feet, Sarah relaxed into the mattress.  She was almost asleep when Marv came in.  He looked at her for a long moment before pushing the door closed and settling in so that he was between her and the rest of the pack.  Gus grinned a doggy smile and curled up, nose to tail, waiting to fall asleep.

 

####  Sunday, September 24th, 2017 - 12:07 am

Marv woke up when Molly got up and wandered around smelling everyone before settling in her preferred spot near the unlit fireplace.  He watched her for a moment to see what she was going to do.  Nothing apparently.  But Sarah was fussing a bit, her arms ducking out from under her blanket to try to find her dog.  Marv crept over on his belly to watch her.

 

Her fingers brushed his fur.  He froze, eyes going wide.  Then she slid over and spooned him in her sleep.  Her fingers were like ice.  God, this was awkward.  He remembered advice Craig had given him when he was first building his pack.  “It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.”  This was where he wanted to end up.  If he acted like she were doing something wrong, she wouldn’t do it again.

 

Marv forced himself to relax and go back to sleep.

 

 


	17. Welcome to the 21st Century

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features the original idea for this story, which necessitated Sarah driving a vintage bug.

####  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Marv stood behind Sarah’s chair and waited for her to come for dinner.  He frowned at the table.  Tonight it was  [ chicken legs in some sort of sauce ](https://damndelicious.net/2014/11/22/chicken-sun-dried-tomato-cream-sauce/) , roast root veg, garlic bread and salad.  Fuck.  Salad was the most useless food invention yet.  They were definitely catering to their Yennork. 

 

He was about to comment, when she walked in, fresh scrubbed and smelling good.  OK, there were some benefits to keeping her happy.  Hell, the smell of her made his knees go weak, never mind that happy, slightly mischievous look on her face.

She gave him a big grin as he sat her for dinner.  Said thank you, just as she always did.  He sat down. The chicken weren’t finger food, he carefully cut off a piece and hesitantly tried it.   “This is damn good!” he said, completely surprised.

 

Sarah grinned at him.  “Thank you!  It’s one of my favourite recipes.”  

 

She was beaming, everyone else at the table was tense.  She noticed and the smile slowly melted from her face.

 

“Hmm.  You mad you gotta cook for all of us?”

 

“No.  I like taking my turn, as long as people eat what I cook.”

 

“Hmm.”  Marv took another bite of the chicken.

 

“The sauce is really good on the garlic bread.” Sarah suggested.  “Usually, I serve it with fusilli, but I thought I should work up to that one.”

 

“Fusilli, huh?  Yeah, I’d try that.”

 

She smelled surprised by pleased.  “Really? I wasn’t sure you would be a pasta guy.”

 

“Ya know why it’s called fusilli?” She shook her head.  “It’s ‘cuz it’s a spiral, like the rifling in a gun.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“I ain’t letting you do the dishes though.”

 

####  Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Sean was waving Sarah and her little green car into the service bay.  Marv put down his welding torch and wandered over.  “What ya doing now?”

 

“Time for winter tires, boss.”

 

“Yeah.  Fine.  Good idea.”

 

“How’s that frame coming?”

 

“Slowly.  The client has some weird ideas about shape that ain’t gonna be as stable as he would like without some pain in the arse reinforcement.”

 

“Anything I can help with?”

 

“Nah.  Just make sure the tires get put on that POS.  Why won’t she just drive the god damn truck?”

 

“She built this car with her dad.  It has sentimental value.”

 

That just made Marv uncomfortable, so he went back to welding.  

 

When he came over to call Sean for lunch, the hoist was lower than Sean liked. “What the hell?”

 

“Oh!  Hi, Marv!” Sarah said, putting down the torque wrench.  “Sean taught me how to pull tires and rebalance them!  It’s a total pain in the ass.  I think I need to buy a second set of rims with my next paycheck.  I don’t suppose we have a shop discount for staff, do we?”

 

He glared at Sean who just shrugged. “You shouldn’t be doing that.” Marv said, firmly.

 

“Oh.  Ok.  I’m sorry.  You’re right.  This should be an on my own time project.  I’ll get it off the hoist and just do this on my jack stands after work.  Sorry, boss.”

 

“That weren’t what I meant.”

 

She gave him a look of genuine confusion.  “I don’t understand.”

 

Sean cleared his throat.  “Marv is just worried about you getting hurt.”   
  


“I got Sean to help me take the bracelet off so I wouldn’t catch it on anything.  I’m not using the impact wrench.  That didn’t go so well the last time.  I made sure to set the hoist at a good height so I don’t hurt my back.  I am being really careful, I promise.”

 

Marv realized he was staring.  Hell.  She was going to do this without supervision if he weren’t careful.  “Fine.  Good to hear.  Just be safe….uh… time for lunch.”

####  Thursday, October 26th, 2017

It was supposed to be a routine patrol.  Nothing big ever happened until Halloween.  But now they had found something.  Or the trail of something and it was running straight for the garage.  Last time Marv checked, Sarah was out trying (again) to get the heater on that piece of german junk working.  For fuck’s sake!  Why couldn’t she just drive the god damn truck?  He had tried to howl a warning, but now the thing was closing in fast and she was standing there, elbow deep in the front of her car, completely oblivious to monster running towards her.

 

Marv panicked and found extra speed he didn’t know he had, but still he was only at the edge of the parking lot as the thing pounced.

 

Then fell to the side in a crumpled heap.  What?

 

He looked at the creature that was obviously dead.  The side of its face was all bashed in.   Then he looked at his Yennork.  She was standing there, looking smug, holding a tire iron.  She grinned at him.  

 

“Just like baseball, huh?”

 

Marv looked at her, then looked at the thing.  It was shaped mostly like a large jack rabbit, but it had tiny hands instead of paws.  The hands had sharp claws.  The eyes were more forward facing.

 

Craig changed back, “Wanna see something cool?” he asked Sarah.

 

“You are naked in the parking lot, Craig.”

 

Craig shrugged.  He went into the garage and came back with pants and a shovel.  He used the shovel to remove the thing’s head.

 

“Ew.”

 

He grinned up at Sarah and pulled back the thing’s harelips.  It had fangs like a snake.  “They are venomous,” he said.

 

“It looks like a bunny.  But it sure as hell does smell like a bunny.” Sarah commented.

 

“Humes can’t tell that.” Craig said flatly.  He picked up the other half of the thing. “Come on.  These things are delicious.”

 

####  Friday, October 13, 2017

Sarah was playing Mario Kart with Sean when she heard the howl and ran off the road. She dropped her controller and looked around in alarm.  Sean won the race.  “It’s fine,” he said, “It’s just Craig.  He’s a screamer.”

 

Sarah relaxed and sat back down and picked up her controller.  “Huh, and here I thought he was the straight one.”  She became aware that everyone was staring at her.  “What?  I’m not passing judgement.  I am totally OK living with a pack of gay werewolves.”

 

“We are not gay!” Sean said, indignantly.

 

Sarah waved a hand, “Fine.  Men who have sex with men.  Or wolves.  Or whatever you want to call it.  I mean, you aren’t subtle about it.  You wear the rainbow patch on your jackets.  You are all a LOT more physical with each other than me.  And it may have taken me a while to figure out the smells, but once I did it’s kind of hard to miss that I’m the only one here who isn’t getting any.”

 

There was a long moment of silence, then Gus said, “You haven’t really shown any interest, lass.”

 

Sarah looked at him.  “I’m not stupid, Gus.  I know I’m not going to ‘fix your gayness.’  It’s the way you are and I can totally accept that.”

 

“Not gay!” Sean repeated.

 

Sarah just gave him a patient look.  “OK.  Look, I’m not sure what you-” she stopped talking as Mac finally lost it and howled with laughter.  Tears streaming down his face, he pounded the floor and wheezed.

 

“This isn’t funny, Mac.” Sean said.

 

“Yeah.  Yeah, it is.” Mac gasped.  “We’ve all been working so hard on being respectful, that she completely missed that-”

 

“We’ve been courting you.” Gus interrupted, firmly.

 

Sarah looked at him, “Courting?”

 

Gus shrugged.  “Females who get infected and not just killed are rare.  The number that survive the infection to become Yennork is even smaller.  Sex with Humes is not an option.  And human cultures really don’t have a relationship model where one female keeps a harem of males.  There isn’t even a word for it in english.  The closest are words with negative connotations.  Like gang rape, or slut.  And neither of those is anywhere close to how a well balanced pack works.”

 

Sarah was staring at him.  “And how does a well balanced pack work then?”

 

Gus set down his knitting and rubbed his face.  “Yennork are different.  There are different rules for you.  We aren’t allowed to ask you.  But for the other pack members, if you get …  needy, you ask someone to help with that.  Or better yet, you keep an eye on your pack mates and offer when you notice they are getting lonely.  Same as you would help a friend scratch an itch in the middle of their back.

 

“The Black Treaty was put in place because no one can pretend Yennork could fight off an unwanted advance.  So, to keep the description of gang rape from applying, you have to pick someone and ask.  Each and every time.  In the meantime, we’ve been trying to demonstrate that we aren’t threatening.  We were all a bit worried about Craig, because he was turned before The Treaty and he lived alone for a long time before he heard of it.  Still, you haven’t asked Marv to run him off yet, so...”

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes, “You’re telling me that I’m supposed to just walk up to one of you and say, ‘hey, buddy, throw me a bone-” Mac started laughing again. “- we have sex and then just continue on like nothing happened?”

 

Gus shrugged, “If you like.  I would like to be more … What was it you called it?  Physical with you, the way I am with the others, but, frankly lass, I will take whatever affection you are willing to give me.  And I’ll give you whatever affection you are willing to accept.”

 

“Huh.”  Sarah thought some more.  “You guys are always touching each other.  Hugs, pats, back slapping.”

 

“Still not gay.” Sean insisted.

 

Sarah looked at him.  “Why does that bother you so much?”

 

Gus answered that one.  “He’s a product of his time.  He served in the military when homosexuality was an excuse to be kicked out.  Plus, he’s still young.  You live long enough, you start to realize that everyone has a preference, but if most people get really lonely, pansexuality becomes an option.”

 

Sarah slept in her own room that night.  In the morning, when Marv held her chair as she sat for breakfast, she put her hand on his arm when she said, “Thank you, Marv.”

 

Instead of just nodding and heading to his own seat, he looked at her and said, “You are welcome, Sarah.”  Then he just stood there, a little awkwardly, until she removed her hand.

 

He sat.  The rest of the pack sat.  Breakfast was passed around.  “I’m not complaining, mind, but what was that?”

 

“Gus said-”

 

“Oh Lord.”

 

Sarah glared at Sean for a moment, then continued, ”- that he wouldn’t mind having a bit of physical contact with me.” Marv turned to look at Gus and narrowed his eyes.  “Whoa!  Wrong idea Marv!  I wasn’t offended or anything.  I just wanted to say…  ah hell!  I don’t know what I’m trying to say.  Look, you guys touch each other all the time - shut it, Sean! - and I’m feeling… left out.  I would like to be part of that too.  Maybe with less punching.  Ok, so now I’m babbling, but my point is…” She stopped at took a deep breath.  “I thought I was being excluded because-” she stopped and looked at Sean for a moment, “- because of reasons.  But it turns out, it might be because I haven’t said it’s ok.  So… yeah.”

 

She looked around the table and they were all staring her.  Marv and Craig just looked confused.  Mac was trying not to grin.  Sean looked slightly offended.  Gus looked pleased.  Sarah ducked her head and concentrated on her mini-wheats.

####  Sunday, September 24th, 2017 - 9am

Sarah woke up, hugging a very large pitbull.  She blinked in confusion and sat up.  The dog got up, stretched and had a shake.  Then it padded toward the door.  Sarah looked around the room.  “Marv?” she asked.

 

The dog stopped and turned to look at her.

 

“I’m sorry I drooled on you.”

 

He just sort of huffed, then continued out of the room.  Sarah flopped back onto the mattress and sighed.  Fuck.  Every single thing about her life was embarrassing these days.  She should have just sucked it up and slept in her own bed last night.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The awkwardness continues.


	18. Bits and Pieces

####  Thursday, October 26th, 2017

Craig was trying to teach Sarah how to clean the thing.  She was a little squeamish, but so far was doing a good job of going along with things.  “Is it that much different than cutting up a chicken?”

 

“Yes!  With chicken, the organs are already gone. Here I still have to deal with that.  And the fur.”

 

Craig shrugged.  “I can just do it, if you want.  But it’s your kill, I thought you might want to cook it.”

 

“Is this even safe to eat?”

 

“Yes!  It will make excellent stew!”  He carefully skinned the thing like it was the rabbit it resembled.  “Do you want any of the organs?”

 

Sarah gagged.  “Nope!  I can’t watch.  I’m sorry, Craig, but you are on your own for this.”

 

Craig watched her leave.  Her loss, he thought as he popped the heart into his mouth.   [ The liver wasn’t that big, but he could make a little pâté ](https://modernfarmer.com/2013/08/lobes-love-eating-liver/) . 

 

\----

 

Sarah found Marv the dog waiting outside of the kitchen for her.  “You OK?” she asked.

 

_ “That was dangerous, waiting for it to come for you.” _

 

Sarah understood most of that.  “I didn’t know how fast it was coming and I thought it would be better to face it.  I can’t run as fast as you.”

 

Marv whined.

 

“Look,” Sarah said reasonably, “I know you have some weird historical hang up that women shouldn’t have to fight.  And, hey, they would if great if it worked that way.  But don’t you think it is better that I know how to swing a tire iron when I need to than have that thing attack me from behind?”

 

Marv whined again and hesitantly nuzzled her hip.  This part was still hard for him, but he was trying.  Sometimes he still flinched when she touched him.  She was getting better at making sure he saw it coming.  It was embarrassing that she never had the same response.  She just accepted that they were there and she trusted them to be careful with her.  It was the most remarkable thing.  Marv had no idea how they had managed that.

 

That night at supper, Craig had served pâté on flatbread.  It was good, but they had encouraged Sarah to eat most of it.  She needed the iron.  

 

Sarah always started out the night in her own bed.  If it got really cold at night, she would generally sneak into the parlour at some point in the night.  What with one thing and another, they had never gotten around to getting her a space heater.

 

Tonight they were all sitting around watching Sarah try to learn a first person shooter twitch game.  She kept dying and laughing about it. The girl was terrible at it and she thought that was the most hilarious thing.  She would even make fun of herself as she fell prey to the zombie in the closet.  Mac was playing with her and doing his damnedest to keep her character alive.  But she ended up running into things or looking at the ceiling.  When she died, again, she tossed the controller to Sean and suggested he would be better suited to this sort of thing.  Then she took a sip of her beer.

 

Gus was watching her.  So was Craig.  And Marv, if he was honest with himself. But it was Gus who asked, “You don’t mind that you keep dying?”

 

“Nope.  It’s just a game.  Plus I know I’m better on the other platform.  I regularly kick ass at Mario Kart.” She grinned and smelled happy and slightly turned on.  Craig walked over and sat on the couch.  She smiled at him.  “What can I do for you?” she asked.  Craig didn’t say anything, just watching her intently.

 

“Go back to your chair, Craig,” Marv ordered.

 

Craig winked at Sarah.  “Why?  You aren’t going to come sit with her.”

 

“Maybe I will!”

 

“Nah. You’ll just leave her lonely like you always do.”  Craig slid closer.

 

Two hundred pounds of combat form alpha male werewolf hit Craig in the chest and knocked him to the floor.  Craig changed moments later and the two of them erupted into a snarling, clawing dog fight. 

 

Sarah jumped up to stand on the couch.  Everyone else was staying clear but watching with interest.  Until the fight bumped the couch and Sarah made an involuntary cry in alarm.  Craig immediate backed off and rolled over.  Marv was still snarling.

 

“Easy,” Gus said.  

 

Marv turned to snarl at him. Gus took a knee.  The other boys followed closely behind.  Marv stood there, towering over all of them, glaring.

 

Then he turned to where Sarah was still standing, wide eyed, on the couch.  They looked at each other.  Sarah was trembling slightly.  Even standing on the couch she was shorter than Marv in this form.  He leaned in and sniffed her hair. She flinched and said, “You told me you are still you, even when you look like this.  Now’s your chance to prove it.”

 

The rest of the pack tensed.  None of them would have gotten away with that. This was very nearly an alpha challenge.    While none of them wanted to be pack leader, Gus was pretty sure they would all intervene to save Sarah, if needed.

 

Marv was just watching her.  It seemed like an eternity.  Marv and Sarah just watching each other. Then it happened.

 

Marv took a knee.

 

Sarah relaxed and climbed off the couch.  She flung her arms around Marv (which caused Gus a whole new bout of stress) and buried her face in his neck.  Marv hesitantly put his arms around her and rubbed her back.

 

When Sarah opened her eyes and looked over Marv’s shoulder, Craig winked at her.

 

####  Saturday, October 14th, 2017

Sarah humming to herself as she got ready that morning. Marv was a little surprised.  “What’s going on?”

 

She looked surprised.  “Oh!  I found a junk yard on the internet that has rims for my car.  Since the shop isn’t open for appointments today, I’m going to go pick them up.”

 

“Take someone with you.”

 

“I’ll be fine!  Besides, Mac and Gus have that delivery today, Craig is … whatever you boys do out in the woods and Sean has just left of a tow run, so he’ll be busy all morning.”

 

Marv considered this.  “I’ll take you.  You can try out the truck.”

 

Sarah stared at him.  “I’ll go.  I’ll take my car.  The rims can fit in the roof rack.  That’s why I have it.”  Marv frowned, so she added, “I’m taking Molly.  This is the sort of thing I would have done before I met you.”

 

Marv stopped himself from telling her that then she was a idiot.  Tiny little girls should not be driving off to junk yards by themselves.  But he was alpha and there was an easy answer to this one.  “No.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“No.  You are not going alone and the dog doesn’t count.”

 

Sarah’s eyes narrowed.  “You absolutely are going to insist on coming along?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Fine, but I’m driving my car.  You can either ride shotgun with me or you can take the truck.”  And with that she headed into the breakfast nook and sat down.  The rest of the pack stared at her, then at him.  Marv gritted his teeth and sat at the head of the table.  They could talk about this on the road.

 

By the time Sarah was loading herself into the car, however, whatever residual anger she had at Marv had melted.  Sarah loading the car was a bigger production than Marv would have guessed. She made sure she had a travel mug of coffee, a bag of “road food” which turned out to be pre peeled and cut up fruit and vegetables, and a box of baby wipes.  She made sure her cell phone was charged and the GPS was programmed to give directions.  She brought a gizmo that charged her phone and played sounds through the radio.  She checked to make sure she had tie down straps for the rims.  She used the bathroom, then phoned the junkyard to confirm she was on her way.

 

“Yeah,” she said, “It turns out my dad has the day off and is coming with me.  Just as a heads up.  You are still selling to me, though, so warn your guys that they need to be talking to the female.  If you ignore me in favour of the old white dude, I will get back in my car and come home without buying a damn thing.” 

 

The guy on the other end of the phone laughed, “You have your dad talk to my dad and we can actually do business without either of them in our hair, deal?”

 

“Sounds good.  I’ll see you in about a hour and a half.”

 

Then she did up her seat belt and started the car.  Marv glared at her.  “Your dad?”

 

Sarah shrugged.  “Like you don’t try to parent me.”

 

Marv leaned back and considered this.  The car was small, but not the worst he had been in.  After a moment, as they were pulling out onto the highway, Sarah said, “Look, I get it.  Pack alpha.  I bet we are all like your kids…”  she thought for a moment.  “Nope.  I completely take back that analogy.”  She fell silent for a few moments, then said, “Wow, Gus was right, there aren’t any human equivalents to how the pack works, are there?”

 

“Not really no.”  Marv was trying to find the least offensive way of asking the next question.  He went with, “You think I’m trying to parent you?”

 

Sarah shrugged.  “That or patronize me.  It’s consistent, so I’m going to go with ‘well intentioned but badly executed parenting,’ since I’m reasonably sure you aren’t trying to be offensive.”

 

“How am I being offensive?”

 

Sarah took a deep breath and blew it out.  “I didn’t buy this car and fix it up.  I spent two summers driving around to junkyards with my dad, buying parts and building a car from scraps.  My parents couldn’t afford to buy me a car and my dad had no idea what to do with a teenage girl, so we built a car.  I know how every single piece of this machine works.  You own a garage.  I wanted a job.  You said no, like it was your decision.  When I forced your hand, you grudgingly allow me to answer the phones.  Nevermind that I might actually be able or want to help with real jobs.  No.  You got mad that I was changing my own tires.  The token female in the pack becomes the telephone operator and that’s all I’m allowed to do.  I understand that you are older than dirt, but these days, that’s pretty offensive.”

 

“It’s my job to take care of you.”

 

Sarah just shook her head.  “What about taking care of my mental health?  People need to be useful.”

 

Marv considered all of that.  “Your dad built this car?”

 

“Argh!  No!  I build this car!  He gave me directions.  I did all the work!  The only things we outsourced was the paint job and the upholstery.  The reason we built a small car is that I can manage all the parts in her with as much equipment as will fit in a single car garage.  I can even run the rental engine hoist we used.  Once again, antique attitude assuming my dad built it and I am just … what?  Taking the credit?  This car has a 1.6 litre, air-cooled, four cylinder boxer engine that I rebuilt.  It weighs 220 pounds, which means I could use a floor engine hoist to work on it.  The truck you keep trying to stick me in, I won’t ever be able to work on that engine.”

 

“It’s a new truck.  You won’t need to work on the engine.”

 

“You are missing the point, Marv.  The point is, I took care of myself.  For years.  Now, I’m living with you and you are treating me like I’m… I don’t even know.  I started building a car at 15, so younger than that.  I am qualified to wash the dishes.”

 

Marv looked at her.  “You think I don’t know that?  The point is, you are the newest member of the pack.  You aren’t a slave to be cooking and cleaning and doing grunt work in the garage.  I’m giving you time to adjust.  Why would you want to do the dishes?”

 

Sarah tightened her grip on the steering wheel.  “Because everyone else does.”

 

Marv was about to respond with a cliche about jumping off the Empire State Building, when his brain kicked in.  She was trying to say that he wasn’t treating her like she was part of the pack.  And he wasn’t.  She wasn’t.  She was a Yennork.  That was different.  Except it didn’t sound like she wanted it to be.

 

“You understand that you are our Yennork, right? You should be giving us directions and having us do things for you?”

 

“And what’s the point of that?  What if I want to do things myself?”

 

Marv gritted his teeth.  “The point of letting us doing things for you is to prove we can take care of you.  To show you we are a pack worthy of you.”

 

“What if I want a pack to do things with me instead of for me?”

 

“But…”  Marv stopped.  “Ah, hell, I’ve been doing this all wrong, haven’t I?”

 

“I have no idea.  I’m not even sure what ‘this’ is.  I just know that I feel isolated, alone and, and…”

 

“Patronized?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well, shit.”  He thought some more.  “That weren’t what I was aiming for.”

 

“I will take your word on that, if you try to stop.”

 

Marv thought about that too.  “I’ll try, but you needa understand, I was raised to treat a lady in a certain way, and all I bin trying to do was be respectful.”

 

“Ok.  Can you try to show me a bit more of the sort of respect you would give to a man?  I'm OK if I have to earn it, but you aren't even giving me the chance to do that.”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

And he did.  Even when the other “old white dude” at the junkyard called her “little lady”  and suggested she let her “Pa” pick out the rims she was after.  He thought about socking the man, but instead he just said, “She built the damn thing, it’s up to her to buy the parts for it.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice this work is now part of a series. I'm not sure I'm keeping the series name. The point of that is: Smut is a coming! (no, sorry, that was terrible) Smut, ho! (Nope, ever worse), Look, the characters are going to end up knocking boots. There will be a note to see other work when it happens. I'm trying to keep this fairly clean. The time jumps with actually help with that.
> 
> Comments please? (Also will be happy to accept smut puns and series title suggestions)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Posting now because I figured out what happens next.

####  October 21st, 2017

 

She was pretty sure Craig was pushing them together.  She was even pretty sure she understood why.  What she wasn’t sure of was whether or not she was capable of casual sex.  It all sounded so straight forward when Gus was explaining it in terms of helping a pack mate out, like you would if they had an itch they couldn’t reach.  Or in terms of bodily functions, “Sure you can eat all alone, but it’s nice not to have to, right?  Just like that.”

 

But the reality was these men loved each other.  Even if none of them would say it like that, they did.  Each and every one of the boys was prepared to take a bullet for anyone else in the pack.  They would always sacrifice their own comfort for that of one of their brothers.

 

Sarah was half certain that Craig was trying to fix her up with Marv because he thought it would make his alpha happy.

 

The problem was, Sarah was starting to think it would make her happy too.  Once she understood that Marv wasn’t so much of an asshole as he was a hundred and fifty years out of date.  The man was trying so damn hard to figure her out. That was flattering in and of itself.

 

The downside of all of this was that, in an attempt to treat her like any other member of the pack, they ended up on really weird dates.  Like the shooting range.

 

“Seriously, Marv?  What the hell?”

 

“I expect any other member of my pack to be able to kill a man, if they need to.  You won’t be ripping anyone’s throat out, so you get to learn to use a gun.”

 

“Marv, this is New York.  I don’t have ‘special need for protection.’  I’m not going to qualify for a concealed carry permit and is there really any point to me having a  Premises-only licence?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What, that’s it?  Yes?”

 

“Yup.  You are going to get certified in both long guns and handguns.  I’ll get you started and once you’re better at it, Sean will teach you all the modern military stuff.”

 

“Was this Craig’s idea?”

 

Marv frowned.  “Why would it be Craig’s idea?”

 

Sarah just shrugged.  But she spent the afternoon learning to disassemble, clean and reassemble Marv’s Beretta M9.  She could at least hit the target at center of mass, so that was something.  Marv was standing too close, giving her advice when she wasn’t doing as well as he expected and praise when she did better.  She hadn’t missed a single time, but her shot groupings were a little sloppy.  Her shoulders and arms ached by the time Marv called a halt.  Then she still had to disassemble, clean and reassemble the M9 before they could go home.

 

Marv was a shitty date.

 

Right up to the point where he sat behind her on the couch and rubbed her shoulders that night.  Man, he was good at that.  And he smelled good!  Christ, living with the pack would have been a lot less distracting if they didn’t all smell so good all the time.  Because as soon as she made any little noise of enjoyment, Marv was going to bolt.  She forced herself to keep her breathing normal and try to relax at the same time.  That was harder than it sounded.

 

Speaking of harder..

 

And off he goes.  Marv has left the building.  Sarah sighed disappointedly.

 

“Missing something, lass?” Gus teased.

 

“Yeah, the rest of my back rub,” Sarah grumbled.  No one volunteered to take over, so she haulled herself off the couch and went upstairs to run a hot bath.  

 

Again.  

 

Fuck.  

 

If she had balls, they would be the colour of midnight.

####  Thursday, October 26th, 2017

Sarah relaxed and climbed off the couch.  She flung her arms around Marv (which caused Gus a whole new bout of stress) and buried her face in his neck.  Marv hesitantly put his arms around her and rubbed her back.

 

When Sarah opened her eyes and looked over Marv’s shoulder, Craig winked at her.  The boys started to leave the room.  Marv disentangled himself and followed them.

 

“Marv?”

 

He stopped and turned to look at her over his shoulder.

 

“If my being here is just being a problem for everyone, you can just say.  I know you said that I should talk to you before it gets bad enough that I want to leave, but…  That goes for you too, right?  If you don’t want me here, Nicole said she could always help me find another pack.”

 

_ “Why would you say that?” _

 

“Because I just caused problems between you and Craig and that was scary and now you are just leaving me to try to deal with that on my own,” tears welled up in her eyes.  She wiped her face on her sleeve.  “I am trying to understand the whole pack thing.  I am trying really hard.  But I just don’t fit in.  No matter what I do, I don’t fit in.”

 

Marv stared at her in horror.  His Yennork was crying and he didn’t know what to do, but he was pretty sure it was his fault.  Ok.  Think.  What would he have done if it was his wife before he turned?  Marv made himself human again and walked over and pulled her into a tight hug.  He rubbed her back.  “I have never had a Yennork as part of my pack.  I’ve never been part of a Yennork’s pack.  I do know just grabbing you like this is enough to get me killed if you object.  But if it were my Mary crying ‘cause I scared her, I would give her a hug and tell her I’m sorry.”

 

“Who’s Mary?”

 

“My wife.  I was turned during the war and I never came home.” 

 

Sarah thought for a moment.  “This is nice, but I’ve got to ask.  You don’t like it when I touch you.  Is that some stupid Yennork prejudice or is it because I’m not her?”  Marv tensed.  The silence went on too long.  Sarah let go of him.  He did not let go of her.

 

“Maybe a bit of both, but mostly I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t know how not to.”*

  
  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Marv means this both figuratively and literally.  See Looper Sex if you want the details.


	20. That Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: chapters one and two of Looper Sex happen before this chapter.  But they are the explicit discussion of, well, sex, that you might not want to read.  No actual porn, yet, but the a frank discussion of the practicalities of Looper/Yennork biology.  If you skip them, you will miss some plot, but I think you will be OK to follow the story.  If you read them, you need to put on your big girl/boy pants first.  Some of the language and themes are harsh.

#### Friday, November 3, 2017

After dinner, Marv turned to Craig and asked, “Sarah asked for room service, what does that look like?”

Craig shrugged.  “Food, the often mentioned space heater.  Her room is fucking cold, Marv.  We should have done something about that sooner.”

Marv nodded.  “I thought she would be sleepin’ downstairs with us by now.”

Craig shrugged, “She thinks the whole point of giving her a room was to exclude her from the nest.”

Marv felt a little sick at that.  He left Mac and Sean on dish duty and got into the truck the girl still wouldn’t drive.  He headed out into the snow towards the nearest town with a Walmart.  It was about an hour away.  He used he time to try to call Nicole.  The call was rerouted to her second, Nathan.

Nathan made Marv viscerally uncomfortable for a number of reasons.  He recognized that they weren’t good reasons so he always did his best to ignore them.  Nathan was a weedy little guy.  Still tall, mind, but where every other Looper was a big strapping man who had survived a werewolf attack, Nathan had been turned by accident when he received a bone marrow transplant from Nicole.  This had caused a flurry of new research and ultimately, the understanding that had allowed them to turn Sarah.

Aside from that, Nathan was gay before he turned and was still happily so.  Marv could see where that would be incredibly useful, but it was still weird having someone flirt with him.  Which, of course why Nathan did it.

Nathan was also rich.  Marv was doing ok, having been continuously employed as a blue collar labourer for the last hundred years.  But Nathan was only forty and had a tech company, several university degrees and more money than he knew what to do with.

Nicole was the alpha, Nathan was her second and Marv just felt old because he had no idea how that would work.

So when the call was answered with Nathan saying, “Hey gorgeous, what can I do for you?”  Marv took a moment to get his head in the game before he answered.

“Let me to speak to Nicole.”

“Nicole is riding the PMS roller coaster just now, so you get me or you get to wait.”

“So is Sarah and I don’t know what to do.”

All of the irritating, flirty smoldering tone vanished as Nathan hit full problem solving mode.  “Has anyone in your pack ever dealt with that?”

“Just Craig, before he sighed the Treaty.”

“Fuck.  You need me to come and help?  You know I won’t try anything.”

“Just tell me what to do.”

“She will need Midol and chocolate and lots of fussing.  Warm blankets, back rubs, you will need to grow a thick skin because manners are not going to be her strong suit.  The more times you can get her to change, the faster it will be over.”

“Yennork don’t change.”

The was a long silence on the line.  “Oh!  You poor baby!  I didn’t know you were still a virgin!  Wait, she’s been there more than a month, why don’t you know?”

“Cut to the chase.”

“OK.  So, if Loopers can full shift or half shift, then what Yennork do is maybe a quarter shift.  Their insides rearrange but they still look the same on the outside.  Just like us, it happens when they O. She won’t be able to speak english, but she will still be able to Speak.  How’s her Speaking language coming along?”

“We’re working on it.  She seems to understand just fine, but doesn’t actually Speak much.”

Nathan was actually quite helpful.  He gave Marv a shopping list for stuff he would need right now and promised to send a box of other things via amazon prime that should be there shortly.

He bought a space heater and made a note to get the fireplace in her room converted to gas.  

He also looked at a small folding table and chairs.  He honestly wasn’t sure what to do about that one. On one hand, it might be nice to be able to eat in her room for a couple of days.  On the other, he didn’t want her to think she was banned from the dining room.  He saw a drop leaf table that looked like a cheap knock off of something he saw in the attic.  

He could work with that.

Next stop bedding. He found some throw blankets that were as soft as a teddy bear and washable.  He bought six in different colours.  Then off to the pharmacy before buying a heating pad and enough creamy chocolate balls to kill them all.  Marv actually shuddered as he put them in his cart.  However, while Nathan may make him uncomfortable, it didn’t mean he didn’t trust the guy.

It was almost eleven when he got home.  He could see the light on through the frosted glass on Sarah’s doors.  He knocked and waited.  

She opened the door and waited for him to speak.  That was… wrong.  Sure that’s what one of the boys would have done, but it weren’t like she was gonna challenge him.  “Uh… I brought you a space heater. And some other stuff.”

She stepped aside, “Come in.”

He handed her the bags and carried in the heater.  It was cold in here.  There was a trace of Craig’s smell, but it was hours old.  “Uh… I got some blankets too.  Nathan said to wash them first, so they will be ready later tonight when you need them.”

“Thank you.”

“I wasn’t….  I wasn’t trying to keep you out of our nest when I gave you this room.  I just wanted you to have space.”

“Yeah.  That’s what Craig said.”

Marv nodded.  “Nathan said this wasn’t the best time to be trying to fix that.”

“Who is Nathan?”

Marv was surprised, “Didn’t Nicole mention him?  He’s her second.”  Sarah shook her head.  Marv scratched the back of his head.  “Anyway.  He said you might want a table so you can eat in here, but I don’t want you thinking I’m keeping you out of the dining room.  I’ll bring you a table if you want, but just for… until you are feeling better.”

Sarah gave him a look that he didn’t understand.

“What?”

“Gus said you fought in the civil war.”

“Yeah.”  Marv gritted his teeth.

“He said you talk about being on the wrong side.”

Marv’s jaw jumped.  He nodded silently.

“How uncomfortable am I making you?”   
  


“It’s fine.  Say it.  Get it out of your system.”

“Is that why the whole pack is white?”

Marv blinked.  Then he laughed.  “No!  I never wanted a pack.  I never wanted to own another man, person, not after how the one who turned me treated his pack.  I’m just living my life and these guys somehow ended up be my responsibility.”  He thought for a moment.  “And you.  I’m doing my best, but I wasn’t empire building.”

“Is that why…” Sarah stopped.  Marv waited.  “I’m not always sure you want me here.”

Marv took a deep breath and blew it out.  “Are we being frank?”  Sarah nodded.  “You scare the shit out of me, little girl.  I have no idea what I’m doing and I keep getting it wrong.  And even when I can see I’m getting it wrong, I have no fucking idea how to fix it.”

Sarah sat down on the bed and gestured to the armchair.  Marv took a seat.  “Like what?” she asked.

Marv considered this.  “You don’t have to wait for me to speak.  The boys do because the all lived with bastards who wouldn’t let them talk without permission.  I hate it when they do it.  But, just now, so did you.”

Sarah considered this, then nodded.  Marv continued, “I don’t think that you understand that in this house, you outrank me.  That’s why you sit first for meals.”

Sarah looked confused then surprised, “What?  Really?”

Marv nodded solemnly.  “I’m hoping you don’t do it, but you would be in your rights to kick us out and make us all sleep in the garage.  When you asked if you could have Craig for couple of days, that was wrong.  You don’t ask.  You just say, ‘Marv, I’m keeping Craig for a couple of days.’  Whatever you need, you tell me that you need it and we all work to get it for you.  And I know that you don’t know what to ask for yet.  We don’t know what we can offer without scaring you.  And that is, as I see, what got us into this mess.”

Sarah was watching him intently.  “When I said it was OK for you all to … I don’t even know… touch me socially, there was about a week where the boys didn’t flatten themselves to get out of my way.  I got back scratches and hugs and when they sat next to me, they weren’t so care to make sure they weren’t touching me.  It was nice.  I felt included.  But then they noticed that you didn’t do any of those things and they stopped.  Then it was worst because I knew what I was missing.”

Marv shook his head.  “I was raised to see that sort of thing as disrespectful to a lady.” Sarah opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut and clenched her teeth.  “What?”

“I’m not your wife, but didn’t you ever… hold hands with her?  Hug her?”

“Of course I did!  But we aren’t married.”

“What about when you were dating?  Courting?”

“I know what dating is.  We met at church.  Dating was going to community events together back then.  I wasn’t ever alone with her until our wedding night.”

Sarah hung her head.  “Can’t you see how that was different?  She was never alone.  If you and the pack aren’t including me, I am.  Craig and Gus and Nicole have all told me that human models of family relationships don’t work when you try to apply them to pack.  I understand that you are trying to be respectful and treat me like a lady.  But I’m not.  Like it or not, I’m not human anymore.  I can smell everything.  If I concentrate, I can hear the sound of other’s heart beats.  I brought down that rabbit thing like it was moving slowly.  I am a Yennork and I am alone.”

Moving very slowly, so that she had plenty of time to tell him to fuck off, Marv got up from the chair, came over to the bed, sat next to Sarah and put his arm around her.  She hugged him back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please. Next chapter will be back in Looper Sex.


	21. Rag Time Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Day After chapters 3 and 4 of Looper Sex. Everyone is trying to be helpful. Except for Gus who is sleeping it off.

#### Saturday, November 4th, 2017

Sarah closed the door and locked it. She turned on the shower to full hot while she brushed her teeth.  You could say this about the house, it took awhile for the water to get warm, but there seemed to be unlimited supplies once it did.

 

Last night had been intense.  But it was slightly blurry in a way that suddenly gave her even more sympathy for Sean.  Her cramps had been the worst she had ever experienced.  Then Craig… made them better.  She felt like she should be embarrassed by that, but it was hard to be embarrassed when he was so enthusiastic and happy about it.

 

Yes, hormones released during good sex made you fall more in love with the person.  She had watched the Ted Talk on oxytocin.But this was…  

 

Nicole had talked about how the bottom line was emotions were really just the brain responding to different hormones the body was making at that moment.  And that, Yennork and Loopers could learn to smell those hormones in the bloodstream.  That is all ‘smelling fear’ actually was.  With practice, you could also smell lust (that was the easiest) and happy and sad and the complex cocktail involved in lying.

 

Craig and Gus had both absolutely reeked of lust. And Craig knew exactly where and how to touch her to make oxytocin in both of them.  Sarah had near experienced someone else’s desire that way.  She could perceive exactly how much he had enjoyed making her feel better.  How pleased he was to be stroking her back… among other things.  She may have started out the night with a ‘no dick’ rule but by the end of the first orgasm, she was prepared to renegotiate.

 

And he had said no.

 

He wanted to.  Fuck, the boner tenting his shorts was painful to even look at.  He had still said no.  That wasn’t the plan.  He had stuck to the plan.

 

Sarah got into the hot shower and scrubbed.  She had blood on her legs and a few other places.  She washed her hair and face.  Then she just stood in the shower for a few moments and let the heat soak into her muscles.  The thing that was making her embarrassed wasn’t having Craig go down on her while she was bleeding, it was how much she had enjoyed watching Gus and Craig together afterwards.  And the few moments of combat form Craig after he came…

 

There is no way she should find a wolf man that sexy.  Between the body hair, the claws and the teeth…  Craig shouldn’t have been that arousing.  Still, even just picturing him was enough to send her hand between her legs.

 

Ugh!  Get it together! Sarah thought. She turned off the water and stomped out of the shower.  She kept her socks and underwear in the bathroom vanity.  It was just easier.  She put on a pair of period panties and a sports bra and a wooly pair of socks that Gus had made for her.  She took a deep breath and listened for sounds on the other side of the door before opening it.

 

Her room was empty.  Time to get dressed and go find breakfast.

 

Mac was making eggs.  Sean had set up a laptop at the breakfast table and was trying not to laugh at Marv’s attempts to find a gas fitter.  Marv being more of a hunt and peck typist, was familiar with the theory, but generally just let Siri do all his web searches.  Sean was deployed when that didn’t work.

 

“Argh! Why can’t I just pick something and order someone to come install it?” Marv demanded.  “It should be like picking out a new set of brake pads!”

 

Sean shook his head, “I think it’s a bit more complicated than that.  They might need to significantly alter to house to run the gas line up from the kitchen.  Plus, you might want to let Sarah pick out which one she likes.”

 

“What am I picking out?”

 

Marv stood up as soon as she entered the room.  Sarah flinched.  Marv sat down.  “Uh.  A gas insert for the fireplace in your room.  It would warm the place up a bit.”

 

“Doesn’t this place have a boiler or something?  All the rooms have rads.”

 

“Takes a long time to heat the house up.  Then it’s too hot at night.”

 

“I can see that.  Keep the place at 67 and everyone just puts on an extra sweater.”  Marv and Sean shared a look that Sarah didn’t understand.  “What?”

 

“How are you feeling?” Marv asked.  It was clear that he was changing the subject.

 

“Fine.  What’s with the look about the extra sweater?”

 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today.  Not that I mind, but…  I was under the impression that you would be bedridden for a couple of days.” At the phrase ‘bedridden’ Sarah blushed bright red.  “Uh…. I mean, I thought Craig was... um-”

 

“He’s busy for a while and I got hungry.”  Sean jumped up and headed to the kitchen.  He was back with an apple a moment later. “Thank you.”

 

“Are you OK?” he asked.

 

“Yeah. The world got all… I don’t even know.  It was a bit like being drunk or high or something there for a while.”

 

“Yeah.” Sean whispered.

 

“The whole universe just narrowed down to sensation and instinct.” Sean nodded. Sarah continued, “I was really lucky to have Craig taking care of me.  I can see how things could have gone really bad if he wasn’t.”  Sean swallowed and nodded. Sarah was watching him, “Sean, do you need a hug?  Because I think I might.”

 

Sean awkwardly held out his arms.  Sarah hugged him.  He stood ridgid for a moment, but when she didn’t let go, he sagged into it and hugged her back.  And if his eyes started to water a little bit, neither Sarah not Marv were going to say anything.

 

Mac came out of the kitchen and asked Sarah if she wanted an omelette just as Craig burst in looking panicked.

 

“Yes to the omelette.  Can I have tomatoes, spinach and feta, please?”  Mac looked a little green at that combination but he nodded.  Sarah turned to Craig.  “I’m fine.  Are you OK?”

 

Craig was suddenly trying to act cool, hoping no one would comment on his nervous demeanor only moments earlier.  “I’m fine, I was just surprised when I got back to your room to find you missing.”

 

Sarah shrugged.  “I needed a coffee.”  Sean hustled off to get her one.  Marv closed the computer and set it aside as he went to hold Sarah chair.  As she sat, he rubbed her back and said, “Thank you for humouring me.”  Then he kissed the top of her head and went back to his end of the table.  

 

Craig also had a seat.  Sean came back with Sarah’s coffee.  She squeezed his hand after she took it.  A moment later Mac was bringing out steak and eggs and Sarah’s omelette.

 

“Where’s Gus?” Marv asked.  Craig just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  “Ah, hell.  Well, we aren’t waiting.” And with that, the boarding house reaching started.

 

“Thank you, Mac, this is delicious.” Sarah said.

 

Mac blushed.  “I don’t like spinach.  I can’t believe you buy that stuff.  But I figured everything is better fried in garlic butter.”

 

“Well, I can’t argue with that.”

 

Mac dropped his gaze to his plate.  “Anything else I can help with today?”

 

Sarah finished chewing her bite of eggy goodness before she asked, “Would you have time to go for a run before work?”

 

Marv cleared his throat.  “I would consider it a personal favour if you stuck around the house today, Sarah.  I’m not going to say you have to, but…  Damn, you smell good.  Like bait.”

 

“Oh.” Sarah considered this.  “Bait for … things that come out of the woods?”

 

“Yeah.  And us.” Craig said.

 

Now she blushed.  The Loopers around the table all tensed a little.  Sarah noticed.  “What’s wrong?”

 

“Craig’s being rude.” Mac said flatly.  “Are you OK after last night?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

Craig smirked.  “They expect me to be a ravenous monster because I was born before the treaty was written.”

 

“Oh.  Well, um… I’ve got no complaints, so… yeah.”  Sarah could feel her ears burning.  

 

Craig chuckled softly.  “Neither does Gus.  I’m good at following directions.”

 

Marv choked on his steak.

 

Sarah changed the subject.  “If I’m staying around the house, can someone show me how to get Netflix in the ballroom?”

 

“Want me to stay home with you?” Craig offered.

 

Sarah shrugged, “That would be nice, but I don’t want to mess up the delivery time on the orders at the garage.”

 

Marv shook his head, “We can run half staffed for a couple of days.  It’d work better if we could set up a rotation though.  No one runs the paint booth like Craig.  We don’t need him until this afternoon.  We could do with Gus’s welding skills, if you can spare him.”

 

“Of course!  I can just manage on my o-”  Sarah stopped, remembering what Craig had said about the pack needing to take care of her and being ashamed when they couldn’t. “-own with Craig,” she finished with only a slight stutter.

 

Marv looked at her like he had noticed.  “Sean’s on engine duty, but you could have me or Mac if you want back up.”

 

Sarah considered this.  “You want me to have back up.”

 

“Yeah.” Marv said simply.

 

Sarah thought about this.  She thought that if Craig was gone in the afternoon, she wasn’t sure she would want Marv paired with anyone else.  She felt comfortable with Craig.  Marv was still sometimes intimidating.  “Um…  I suspect I’m going to just be dozing in front of the TV all day, but if you and Craig want to listen to me snore this morning, maybe I can play Nintendo with Mac this afternoon.”

 

Everyone nodded slowly.  Sarah recognized the politics in action.

 

Mac glanced at Marv who nodded slightly.  “I’m on KP today.  Is there anything you want to eat for lunch?”

 

Sarah snorted.  “Not unless you’ve been hiding mad pizza making skills.”

 

Mac shook his head.

 

\--[(explicit content removed and posted elsewhere)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13187802/chapters/30438789)\--

 

Sarah was already laying on the couch with her head in Craig’s lap and some chick flick on the TV when Marv came into the room.  It felt a bit like he was intruding.  He was headed over to his chair when Sarah asked, “Are you grossed out by feet?”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s just that if you sat at the other end of the couch, I could shamelessly use you a foot warmer.” Sarah explained.  “But not if you’re grossed out by feet,” she added.

 

Marv sat down on the couch.  “I’ve lived with four other men for the last twenty years.  Don’t believe for a moment that anything you could do would hold a candle to how disgusting we can be.”

 

“I don’t know.” Sarah said.  “The place isn’t too messy.”

 

Craig laughed.  “That’s because we spent a month cleaning the place while you were in a coma.  He even made us take down the calendar girls in the shop.”

 

Sarah shook her head, “Well, since I bet it wasn’t [ Hilda the Pin up girl ](https://www.bustle.com/articles/61141-hilda-is-the-lost-pinup-girl-of-the-1950s-so-here-is-why-duane-bryers), that might be for the best.”

 

“Careful, don’t you go talkin' smack about my girl Hilda.” Marv said, dead serious.  Sarah looked at him in surprise.  “Hilda was cute and fun and people found her relatable.  You don’t get that in models anymore.”

 

“As someone who has never been a size zero, I agree.”

 

Marv looked hard a Sarah.  “Why anyone would want a skeleton when they could have a curvy girl is beyond me.”

 

“Marketing?”  Sarah suggested.

 

Marv caressed Sarah’s calf as he considered this.  “Yeah.  I could see that.  Everyone looks like that,” he nodded at Rachel Mcadams and Ryan Gossling, “on TV and whatnot.  No one looks like that around here.”

 

Sarah had a good laugh at that.  Once she could breathe again, she gasped, “Jesus, Marv, have you even looked at your pack?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please.
> 
> Also, after a false start, I am setting up a Tumblr for this Universe. I have Ask Me Anything turned on, so have at it.
> 
> https://nicole-schnerr.tumblr.com


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know. The pack try to take care of Sarah and actually (finally) get it right. Hints at Looper Sex. Discussion of oral sex fingering. No actual oral sex or fingering. Sarah cuts through the bull shit about Sean.

It had been creeping up on her, so Sarah didn’t notice how bad the cramps were until they were bad. She was trying to ignore them, but…

 

“Sarah?” Craig asked. “Do you need to go back to bed for a while?”

 

She gritted her teeth and nodded.

 

“Can I come with?” Marv asked.

 

“I don’t want to have sex with you, Marv.”

 

Marv felt rather uncomfortable at that, but he nodded slowly.

 

“OK.” Sarah said as she started to climb awkwardly off the couch.  Craig just scooped her up and carried her out of the room.   She nuzzled into his neck and whispered, “Sorry I’m being such a baby.”

 

She wasn’t expecting Marv to respond to that.  “Nonsense!  We take care of you!  That’s our job.”

 

Sarah whimpered a little.  “Marv, I…  If I say stop, I need-”

 

“Of course I will stop if you tell me!”  Marv said, so totally affronted that he stopped climbing the stairs for a moment.

 

‘Ok, but… if I try to…” she trailed off helplessly.

 

Craig smoothly took over, “Marv won’t escalated things after you change either, baby girl.”

 

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, “Last night, I asked, so if he had, it wouldn’t have been wrong… but…  Fuck.  I don’t know how to even …”

 

Marv opened the door to her room.  Craig set her down on the bed.  

 

“Human models don’t work for this either,” Craig explained.  “You set the rules, we will stick to them until you are human enough to change them.  No one wants you waking up scared of us.”  Sarah looked at him, then at Marv then she nodded.  Craig continued, “Same rules as last night?” She nodded again.

 

“What were the rules last night?” Marv asked from the doorway.

 

Craig looked at him.  “Come in and turn on the heater so she doesn’t get cold.”  Marv did.  “Last night the rules were stay human, no total male nudity, fingers and tongue only.”  Sarah nodded.  Craig made and held eye contact with her as he added, “I would like to try a lot of fingers, as long as I’m not hurting you.”

 

Sarah blushed and looked away, “You have a fetish or something, Craig?”

 

“Nah, but I want you to be able to see how much your body changes when you shift.”  She stared at him in confusion.  Craig gave her a devilish grin, “You have no idea how much everything changes when you shift, because it is all on the inside.  You need to be able to see the difference.  I promise I will stop if it hurts or even just doesn’t feel good.”

 

Sarah nodded hesitantly.

 

Craig shook his head, “You get to decide but you have to be clear with what you want.”

 

\--([explicit content removed and posted elsewhere](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13187802/chapters/30465270))--

 

When the boys came home at lunch, it was clear that something had changed.  Craig was serving lunch, there was no sign of Marv or Sarah.  “Weel, now, that is verry interesting.” Gus said, grinning like an idiot.

 

Craig just shook his head.  “It's what we were all hoping for.  If she bonds with Marv, it’s the best thing for the pack.”

 

Gus rubbed his hands together and grinned, “So, am I on deck this afternoon?”

 

Craig shrugged, “If you insist.  Might be better to leave Mac in the house this afternoon, though.”

 

“Wait!  What?  Why?” Mac interjected, “Not that I don’t want to, but why me?”

 

Craig watched Gus as he spoke, “If Marv shifts, he won’t see you as a threat.  Gus is old enough to give him some pause.”

 

Gus glared at Craig, “He was fine with you this morning!”  Then he hesitated and asked, “Wasn’t he?”

 

Craig chewed his sandwich thoughtfully, “I was the gateway that got him into the room.  But she cuddled up against him when she passed out and I can’t see him letting anyone get between them now.”

 

“Which brings us back to my original question, why me?” Mac said.

 

Craig shrugged.  “It should be Sean.  He’s closest to her age and doesn’t want to fuck her.  But I can’t see him going in there and not panicking. Having him freak out  isn’t what she needs just now.”

 

"I can stay with her." Sean said firmly.

 

“Really?” Craig asked, skeptically.  “Even if they end up having sex and Marv shifts?”

 

Sean shivered.  Mac gaped at him and said, “Wait…  You want me to just go hang out and watch my alpha and my Yennork do the nasty?”

 

“Yup.  And offer to give it up if she taps out before he’s done.”

 

“Uh…” Mac looked uncomfortable.

 

“I’ll do it.” Sean said quietly.  They all stared at him.  

 

“Are you sure, lad?” Gus asked, kindly.

 

“Yeah.”

 

When Sean crept into Sarah’s room after lunch, Marv was spooning her under the covers.  He was still human shaped.  He lifted his head and watched Sean with narrowed eyes.  Sean ignored him and found a chair near the door.  He pulled out his phone and opened Tumblr because an internet based time suck was more than required in this situation.  He checked out [ Nicole’s blog ](https://nicole-schnerr.tumblr.com/post/169321187488/so-ive-been-dating-this-guy-for-a-couple-of#notes) and laughed at Josh finally coming out to his girlfriend.  Good for you, bro.

 

Sarah stirred a little at the sound of his laugh. “Mmm, Craig?”

 

Sean froze.

 

Marv rubbed her shoulder, “Sorry, darlin’, Sean’ll go get him if you need him.”

 

“I’m OK.”

 

“That’s good.”

 

“How long until lunch?”

 

“Any time you want.” Marv assured her.

 

“Mmm kay.  I’m hungry but I need a couple of minutes before I’m ready to move.”

 

Well, that was his queue if he ever heard one, “Sarah?  Can I bring you anything to eat?”

 

“Thank you.  Can I have cheese and crackers and fruit?”

 

“If you like.  Need me to break out the chocolate and white wine too?”

 

“Oh dear god!  I think I love you, Sean!”

 

“Umm, you’re welcome?  I’ll be right back.”

 

When he got back, Sarah was sitting up in bed, wearing Marv’s t-shirt.  The combined smell of his alpha and his Yennork hit Sean like a ton of bricks.  He stumbled for a moment and almost dropped the plate.  Marv hurried over and took it from him without a word.

 

Sarah asked, “Are you going to stay for a while, Sean?” as she watched.

 

“Uh… yeah… if that’s OK.”

 

“Yup.  Just, take your boots off before you sit on the bed, OK?”

 

Sean looked at Marv, who shrugged and added, “You’ll want to take your pants off while you’re at it, son.  You smell like the garage.”

 

“Oh, crap!  You were supposed to be on engine duty!  What happened?”

 

Sean set the wine down on Sarah’s bedside table then stripped down to his t-shirt and shorts.  He tried not to make eye contact with Marv as he sat on the other corned of the bed.  “Craig thought, um, that I would be... helpful this afternoon.”

 

“Did he now?” Marv said with a dangerous tone in his voice.

 

Sarah noticed, “Is Craig in trouble?” She sounded worried.

 

Marv shook his head.  “Nope.  But if you would rather have someone else-”

 

Sarah shook her head and reached out to take the glass of wine.  After she had a sip, she set it down.  “Look, I’m only beginning to be able to follow the pack politics.  Sean has never been anything but super polite to me.  Am I supposed to be mad at him because I slipped getting out of the truck or something?  He did warn me.”

 

“I killed my wife.”

 

Sarah looked down at her lap. “I heard that.  It was, what? Twenty years ago when you were first turned?”

 

Sean nodded.

 

“Nicole explained that the pack that turns a person is responsible for make sure they are safe.  That for the first while we are all a danger to ourselves and others, but the pack is supposed to protect us.”  She looked at Marv, then at Sean for confirmation.  They nodded slowly.  “So, if the pack who turned you, knew you were dangerous but didn’t give you the care to keep you from going home and didn’t give you the information to let you know what was going to happen, well…”  She trailed off and flapped her hands for a moment, like she was trying to think of the right words.  “I guess what I’m getting at, is you have to be informed to be able to consent.  If you weren’t, well, that is about the most horrible thing I can think of for them to have done to you.”

 

Sean stared at her, his nose twitching slightly, “You really mean that, don’t you?”

 

“Of course I do!  I know my saying that isn’t going to make it better, but …  I guess I’m just trying to say that I am really glad that you are all trying to take care of me and keep me safe.”  She took another sip of wine, “Even if Marv’s idea of what taking care of a someone is about three hundred years out of date.”

 

“Hey!  I’m not that old!”

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow and popped a chocolate in her mouth.  She made a happy little noise as she chewed. After a bite of pineapple, she asked, “How allergic to chocolate are you?”

 

“Whaddya mean?” Marv asked.

 

“Well, am I going to have to brush my teeth before I kiss you?  Should I be kicking you out of here while I’m eating it?”

 

“Nah, we’ll be fine.”

 

“Well, in that case, Sean looks like he needs a hug.”  Marv startled, then leaned across the bed and hugged his pack mate.  Sarah giggled and a moment later wiggled between them and hugged Sean herself.

 

 


	23. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah tries to figure out her new pack, but she can't even see all the fall out from Marv's incident.
> 
> Follows Chapter 6, Looper Sex.

“OK, as much as I hate to rain on this tender moment, I am crusty and disgusting and going to have another shower.”  Sarah wiggled out from between the two men. 

 

Marv caught her hand.  “You are not crusty and disgusting.  You are beautiful.”

 

Sarah turned back and kissed Marv on the cheek, “That is so sweet!  Unfortunately, I can smell myself and I need to go fix that.  I’ll just be a few minutes.”  Sarah hurried off to the bathroom and closed the door.

 

Sean sprang into action, stripping the bed and hustling the blankets out the door. Marv watched him as he hurried to remake the bed.  “What are you doing?”

 

Sean didn’t stop as he replied, “Military corners.  If she thinks she is crusty and smelly, there is no way she would want to get back into bed when it is like that.” Sean grabbed the last teddy bear soft blanket out of the hamper.  “Congratulations of getting your rocks off, but if you could keep it in your pants for an hour so I can wash these-”

 

“Hey! Watch it!”

 

Sean froze and looked at his alpha.  “Of course.  I could just go.  I’m sure Sarah would be more than happy to wash her blood and your jizz out of the sheets. Especially since Gus was talking about how she wanted us to stay human because she isn’t really comfortable around the combat form yet.”

 

“Yeah, I’m going to have to work on that.” Sarah said from the doorway to her bathroom. Sean and Marv both looked guilty.  “Thank you for doing the laundry, Sean.  I was going to wash the … bodily fluids out of it after my shower, but I appreciate the help.” She thought for a moment, then added, “If you aren’t too grossed out by it, that is.  If it bothers you, I can-”

 

“I am Marine, ma’am.  I am not squeamish.”

 

“Of course.  Thank you.  I’ll just get my hair brush then be out of the way.”

 

“Sarah?  There’s a restaurant about fifteen minutes out of town.  They don’t have pizza, but if you are sick of our cooking-”

 

“Thanks Marv, but I don’t have any complaints about the food.  Craig’s  [ roast chicken ](https://www.thekitchn.com/viking-chicken-182165) is amazing and I think that we all could do with a family meeting.”

 

Marv winced.  “Yes, ma’am.”

 

Sarah watched as Sean bundled the laundry out of the room.  Then she turned to Marv, “Pre family meeting, meeting?”

 

Marv hung his head.  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to scare you, I just… went off like a teenager after his first glimpse of ankle.”

 

Sarah stared at him.  Then she started to laugh.  “Ankles?  Really? You’re yanking my chain, right?”

 

“Maybe a little.  Things were different when I was a boy.”

 

Sarah looked around, then sat on one of the chairs.  “From my point of view, everything was amazing.  Then you changed and that was … a little scary and unexpected-”

 

“I am so sorry!”

 

Sarah held up a hand and continued, “But the thing that really bothered me was the snarling.  What was that all about?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“What I am worried about is: was that a statement of ownership?”

 

“No!”

 

“You weren’t looking at Craig and … and mate guarding?”

 

“Um…” Marv cringed.  “Maybe a little.”

 

“But then you tried to send Craig over to me?”

 

“You were scared and I wanted to make that better, not worse.  I thought me going back over to you would have made it worse.”

 

“How long have you and Craig been lovers?”

 

“Uh… it’s more complicated than that.”  Sarah just looked at him. “The one who turned me was running a brothel in New York in 1920. I killed him.  Unfortunately, I had to kill a lot of other people to do it.  He had picked up Craig at some point.  His pack was expecting me to take over.  I didn’t want that.  When I left, Craig followed me.”

 

“Marv, look… jealousy in people is not a healthy thing. But, as I keep getting told, human rules do not apply here. If you need me and Craig to not be a thing, I need you to tell me that. You two have been together for a long time. I’m ok backing off and leaving you both alone.”

 

“You think I’m mate guarding Craig?”

 

“He’s been your mate for decades. It’s kind of understandable.”

 

“Sarah, I changed and suddenly you smelled like fear and he smelled like your blood. I wasn’t guarding him, I was trying to protect you!”

 

Sarah’s brain stuttered. “Wait? What?  But you ran over to him and relaxed as soon as he was touching you!  I was expecting you two to…. um… things together!”

 

“Things?” Marv asked with a slight smirk. 

 

“Yeah. I was prepared to just leave you to it!”

 

“You rolled over and went to sleep.”

 

“I lay down and hid under the blanket!”  Sarah stopped for a moment and thought about that.  “OK.  So maybe neither of us was in a good headspace.  The question is, now what?”

 

Marv thought about that for a moment.  “Damned if I know.”

 

“I need to figure out how not to panic everytime one of you changes unexpectedly on me.”  She took a deep breath and blew it out, “And, I’m sorry Marv, but you don’t get to watch anymore.”

 

Marv nodded slowly.  “Did Nicole talk to you about pack bonding?”

 

Sarah was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of topic.  “Um… yes.  She said it was when you really commit to a pack on a biological level.  That my smell would start to change to match yours.   Well, the alpha.  Or whatever.”  She sniffed her skin, then gagged.  “Ugh!  Right!  Bath!”  She grabbed her hair brush and started ripping the tangles out of her hair as she walked to the bathroom.

 

Marv never got to explain that Mac had bonded with her before she ever got to the house.  She had gotten Sean in the kitchen that morning.  He had no idea what was going on with Craig, but Gus buying the truck was a classic mate guarding attempt to keep her safe.  And as for himself,  whatever other mess he had gotten himself into that morning, she well and truly owned him now.

 

Sarah smelled sweet, like that weird Vanilla Coconut deodorant she ordered off the internet, with notes of mango and raspberry.  And that smell had definitely started to transfer to the pack.  Marv wasn’t even sure he could call them his pack anymore.  They were her pack now.

 

\----

 

When Sarah finished scrubbing off in the shower, she again sniffed her shoulder.  She didn’t think she smelled like leather and machine oil the way Marv did.  Although, come to think of it, the boys didn’t really smell like each other either.  She thought about that thing Marv had said about not wanting a pack.  There wasn’t really an underlying pack smell.  And they didn’t trust Craig.  None of that matched Nicole’s description of pack bonding.  On the other hand, the level of commitment to each other was spot on. Craig smelled like a forest.  Gus like the ocean.  Sean smelled like sand and cypress trees. Mac was indescribably yummy and..

 

Uh, Mac!  There was a boy she wanted to get naked and lick.  She wondered when he bic’d his head every morning if he got the rest of him at the same time….

 

Argh!  No!  What the hell!  NO!  She was not going to be thinking about that now.  Really?  REALLY?  What was wrong with her?  She should be done!  She shivered and climbed out of the shower.  

 

Sarah wished she had spent more time talking about sex with Nicole.  Back at the clinic she had been too embarrassed.  She had just gone along with the lessons on language and history.  She had been actively trying not to think about the suggestion that everyone in a pack just casually had sex with everyone else.  Now she had to face that reality, and she still didn’t want to focus on it too much.

 

In the last twenty four hours, she had more orgasms than she had in her entire life up to that point. Why was she even thinking about getting Mac naked and -

 

She needed to get dressed and call Nicole.

 

\----

 

The phone answered on the second ring.  The voice on the other end said, “Aw, did you sexy boys get my package and not know what to do with it?”  Sarah froze.  The pause went on too long.  “What’s the matter Marv, pussy’s got your tongue?”

 

“Sorry!  Wrong number!”  Sarah hung up.

 

She stood there blushing and then realized that she had switched phones with Marv at some point.  She hit herself in the face with the cell phone, before throwing it on the bed.  It started to ring.  She ignored it.  It stopped.  Somewhere else in the house, another phone started to ring.  She heard Marv answer.  Footsteps coming up the stairs.  She grabbed the phone off the bed and was waiting at the door when Marv got there.  “Sorry,” she said.

 

“Are you OK?” he asked.  “Nathan can be a bit… um… much.”

 

“Yeah.  I’m fine.  Custom cellphone cases, though.  They are a thing. I was just trying to call Nicole and … I got the wrong number.”

 

Marv nodded.  He handed her the phone he was holding.  “She is busy just now, but Nathan promises to be more polite to you than he is to me.”

 

“Um… OK.” They traded phones and Marv left.  Sarah looked at hers an realized it was still connected.  Fuck.  OK.  She could deal with this.  “Hello?  Look, I was just trying to get Nicole.  I’m sorry to bother-”

 

“Easy there!  I was rude.  I’m sorry.  Nicole can’t cu- answer the phone just now, but I promise I can help. My name is Nathan.  I’m Nicole’s second.  What do you need?”

 

“I just need to talk to another Yennork.  Can you get Nicole to call me when she has a moment?”

 

“Sweetie, by the time Nicole can call you back, you will have had to suffer through whatever is bothering you right now.  I can be there in four hours.  Marv won’t be happy, but you just leave him to me and -”

 

“No!  I’m fine!  I don’t need more men in this house!”

 

There was a pause then Nathan burst out laughing.  “I’m pretty sure Marv would say I don’t count.  Look, I am going to guess that you are horney as hell and freaking out about it.”

 

“Um… something like that.” Sarah mumbled.

 

“OK.  So the reason Nicole can’t get to the phone is that she is currently doing the horizontal mambo.  The reason I can answer the phone, is that no one in the pack is going to ride my ass while she is open for business.  So, talk to me about it.”

 

“Am I going into heat? She never mentioned that.”

 

Nathan laughed again.  “No!  This is totally voluntary.  You can ignore it, but you have to make a conscious decision to.  It will feel kind of like an off switch in your mind.  But, if you can get past the hang ups, it could be good for you and your pack if you don’t.  Sex is helpful in pack bonding.”  He paused and thought for a moment.  “As long as everyone is respectful about it.”

 

“I don’t know how to get past that hang up.  How do I find the off switch in my mind?”

 

“For me, it’s like… choosing to reroute my train of thought.”

 

“But you’re not a Yennork,” Sarah pointed out.

 

Nathan sighed.  “You had to go there, didn’t you?  OK.  Quick lesson on gender politics.  Historically speaking, the division between gay and straight was not as rigid as it is now.  It used to be the assumption was that everyone was interested in both genders and those that chose one exclusively were the outliers.  Our pack works.  We are unusual because we have more than one female in the group. Nicole is the alpha, I am her second, the whole pack is like one big married family.  Everyone takes care of each other and no one plays favourites.  Which doesn’t mean we all have sex with every member of the pack.  But we are all respectful of each other.  That is how it is supposed to be.  Yennork doesn’t mean wife.  It means unchanging.”

 

“What does all of that have to do with me?”

 

Nathan growled in frustration.  “What I’m trying to tell you is that if you don't want to fuck your pack.  That is fine.  If you do, that is also fine.  You need to figure out which one it is, because you need to be the firm, unchanging place for them to come home to.  And if you don’t want them coming home to you, you need to say that before they bond with you.”

 

Sarah thought about all of that.  “I have favourites.”

 

Nathan was silent for a moment.  “Are there any you can’t stand?”

 

“No.”

 

“Do you want to leave that pack?”

 

Now Sarah had to think about that.  “I’m not always comfortable with them as a group.  But I like each of them individually well enough.  If I move, there may be people in the new pack who either don’t like me or who I can’t stand, right?”

 

“There is always that possibility.”

 

“So, your advice is just don’t worry about it?”

 

“No.  My advice is to think about the pack as your family.  Maybe like an arranged marriage.  You didn’t pick them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a family.  Family is an easier concept to understand than pack.  Start with that and figure it out from there.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent the morning editing this whole messy series into one big ... work. It is now chronological, more or less. 
> 
> I need a beta reader who can spot the spelling, grammar and continuity errors and comment on if the re work is actually better.
> 
> Any volunteers?
> 
> There may be prizes.


	24. Family Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah takes Nathan's advice and tries to get her life sorted out.

Sarah waited until supper had been passed around to say, “A couple of you have said this is my house.  Is that true?”  They all looked at her in confusion.  

 

Marv cleared his throat.  “That’s right.”

 

Sarah focused on him, “I also keep hearing that I need to ask for what I need.”

 

Marv hesitantly nodded.

 

“OK.  We are turning up the heat to 70.” Sarah kept watching him. “ At least until you get the gas fireplace installed.  If you get too warm, you can stay human.  If I get cold, I can’t shift.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“And I need to get used to seeing you, all of you, in combat form.”  Now she took a deep breath and blew it out.  “How do we manage that?”

 

Mac cleared his throat. “Sarah?  Pants don’t really fit over a tail.”

 

She blushed and nodded.  “I understand that.  I promise not to stare.”

 

“Not at the table.” Marv said firmly. “Eating human food doesn’t work with a muzzle.”

 

“Maybe during family movie night?” Sarah suggested.  “I’m not cancelling football viewing, but I want one night a week when I get to choose the show.”  She hesitated before adding, “Attendance isn’t mandatory, but if you do turn up to watch with me, it would give us something to talk about.”

 

Cautious nodding.

 

“Gus?  Can you teach me to knit?”

 

He looked startled.  “If you like.”

 

“I would.  I want to find things I can do with each of you individually.  Nathan suggested it would be helpful.  Marv already claimed shooting range for himself and Sean, if that’s OK with Sean.”

 

Sean took a sip of his beer. “I don’t know.  I hear you like building vehicles that have round fenders.  I’ve been thinking about a whole list that could fall into that category.”

 

Sarah’s eyes lit up.  “Yeah, I could work with that.”

 

Craig cleared his throat.  “And we watch everyone freak out as I ask about hiking.”

 

“You are not taking her into the woods alone.” Marv said firmly.

 

“Where’s the nearest rock climbing wall?” Sarah asked.  “I’ve always wanted to learn.”

 

Craig watched her for a moment.  “I will find out.”

 

Sarah nodded.  Then she turned to Mac, “Can I talk to you after supper?”

 

Mac stared at her, wide eyed and nodded.

 

“OK.  I have some questions.  How does this pack actually work?  I mean, there were things Nicole told me to watch for, that just aren’t happening.  I thought you were going to all smell the same.  Or at least similar.  But you really don’t.  I mean except for after… well.  Anyway, I was expecting a lot less human time.”

 

Marv was decidedly uncomfortable with this line of questioning.  He picked the least contentious thread in that paragraph.  “We were trying to normalize for you.  Figured it was bad enough, suddenly having to live with strange men.  Didn’t want you suddenly having to live a pack of monsters.”

 

Sarah just gaped at him. “But… If I only see you as people, then when I inevitably run into your non-human shapes, it is worse because I’m not expecting it!”

 

Gus coughed, and held out a hand.  Marv grumbled and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.  He handed Gus a fifty.  Sarah glared at them both, “What the hell?”

 

Gus grinned at her.  “We had a discussion about whether it would be better to take the fast band-aid approach-”

 

“Or work up to it.” Marv finished.

 

Sarah looked at them.  “Meeting somewhere in the middle might have been more reasonable. I’ve been here more than a month. Speaking of adapting, what do Loopers do for Thanksgiving?”

 

The guys all shrugged. “Go hunting?” Craig suggested.

 

Sarah crossed her arms.  “Does that mean I have to make the turkey by myself?”  She thought for another moment.  “Can I invite Nicole and her pack?”

 

Marv looked uncomfortable at that one.  “Nicole is The Black’s favourite daughter.  Her mate is his son.  They won’t be having Thanksgiving with us.”

 

Gus cleared his throat.  “Marv isn’t saying you can’t invite them.  He’s saying it’s like inviting The President of the United States to Thanksgiving Dinner.  Sure, he’s no Queen of England, but that doesn’t mean he’ll turn up.”

 

“Oh.  Well, I’m going to invite her anyway.  Also, I am not eating candied yams, but if someone else wants to make them, I won’t object.”

 

Sean perked up, “I’ll make the yams!” he volunteered.

 

“Thank you, Sean.”

 

\----

 

Mac wasn’t sure why he was here, and be was beginning to wonder if Sarah knew.  When she had asked to speak to him alone in her room, he thought - well, he _hoped_ that she was… going to let him have a turn.  She didn't seem interested in that.  She was just pacing and agitated.  She kept starting to speak, then looking at him and stopping.  He didn’t know how to make it better.

 

“This is a mistake,” she finally muttered.

 

Mac nodded.  “I’ll go.”

 

“No!  I was… talking to myself.”  She stopped pacing and looked at him.  “I’m trying to figure things out but I just don’t understand how it works.”

 

“How what works?” Mac asked.

 

“Everything!” Sarah almost shouted.  Mac flinched.  Sarah apologised.   “I’m sorry, it’s just that… Look, you are objectively the scariest looking member of this pack.  So, why am I the least afraid of you? -”

 

Mac nodded, “Oh!  That’s easy!  It’s ‘cuz you owned me the longest.”

 

“That was retoric- wait, what?”

 

“Yeah.  Way back at the clinic.  You just found out you were a Yennork, and you were really scared and I bonded with you because I wanted to make you feel better.  Not so afraid.”  He looked at her blank expression.  “I know Nicole talked bout that.”

 

“Nicole talked about a lot of things.  Refresh my memory.”

 

Mac shrugged, “Not much to it.  Bonding is when you really decide to commit to someone as part of your pack.  Like when Craig gave you that bracelet.”

 

“Whoa!  Wait!  You said that I could take it off and it would be like getting a divorce!”

 

“Yeah, you can.  It doesn’t go both ways. Just ‘cuz I’m bonded with you, or Craig is bonded with you, it don’t mean you are committed to us.  But you own us, we are yours.  Somewhere, deep down, on an instinctual level, you know that.  You had me the longest, so I’m the least scary.  Plus, once I bonded with you, I started figuring out how to be less scary.  You are my Yennork.  Every interaction we have, I’m learning about you.  Learning how to take care of you.  Same as Craig.  Marv is still holding back, that’s why he doesn’t get it.  Craig ain’t going to hurt you.  He can’t.  It would hurt him too.”

 

“But you didn’t say bonded, you said I owned you!”

 

“Well, yeah.  I’m bonded to you.  I will take care of you, but I understand you aren’t bonded with me.  You aren’t as sure about keeping me.  I still have to keep proving myself until you are sure.”  Mac was watching her.  Sarah was wide eyed and panicky.  This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, “Woah, easy.  It’s OK.  It will be OK.”  She stared at him, then flung herself at him, hugging him tight, her face smushed against his sternum.  Mac rubbed her back.  “You are safe.  We will take care of you.”

 

“Oh my god!  Marv said he never wanted to own anyone!  That’s why you all smell different, he isn’t bonded with the pack!”

 

“Uh… yeah.  We don’t like to talk about that too much.  Alpha isn’t just about being big and strong, a lot of it is about strength of will.  Marv is the head of the household, but as long as he doesn’t really commit to the pack, he can’t force us to do things we aren’t happy about.  I mean… it’s a bit like hypnosis.  You can make someone cluck like a chicken and they will convince themselves that they can stop anytime they like, but you can’t inherently force someone to do something against their will.  Unless you are bonded to your alpha and he really put his will into the command.  Then you can still say no, but it hurts when you do.  Plus if they are bigger, they can physically force you to.  Or if they control the assets of the pack, they can withhold food or whatever until you do what they say.  Yennork are exempt, but…  we all had bastard alphas who would ….  Who weren’t nice.”  Mac sighed.  “Marv isn’t like that.  But it isn’t the same having an alpha who doesn’t care if you leave either.”

 

Sarah looked up at him.  “I don’t believe that.  Marv cares about all of you.”

 

“Yeah.  Individually.  But he isn’t invested in the pack as a unit.”  Mac sighed.  “I’m doing a shit job of explaining.  But if you really decide to stay, you’ll understand.”

 

“Will you stay with me tonight, Mac? I mean, I’m not…  argh!  I don’t know what I’m doing!”

 

“Yeah, I’ll stay.  We’ll figure it out together.”

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah and Mac

####  Tuesday, November 7, 2017 5am

Mac was watching Sarah sleep. She had pulled his arm around her and was cuddling it like a stuffed toy. Last night had been his third night sleeping in her room. The first two, she had asked him to stay human, but last night she had hesitantly asked him to half shift for her.

 

He was pretty sure it had given her nightmares. When she woke sobbing, he had changed back and hugged her tight, rubbing her back until she felt better. She still asked him to shift back before having him spoon her. Over the last few days, the pack had come to the conclusion that Sarah was now afraid of Marv. No one was talking about why. Mac was pretty sure Craig knew, but Sarah wasn’t any more nervous around him than she ever had been.

 

On the other hand, Craig hadn’t been invited up to her room again.

 

Mac had been hopeful that first night, but he was here as a guard. Molly slept at her feet and Mac watched her back and Sarah fought to find sleep. After a few hours of her not sleeping, Mac had found her kindle and read to her until she could. That had become part of her bedtime routine these last two nights. 

 

He was pretty sure she wasn’t staying with this pack. He was praying she would take him with her when she left. The idea of his Yennork leaving him behind made him feel sick.

 

“I can feel you staring at me.”

 

“ **Sorry** .”

 

“What time is it?”

 

**“Just after five.”**

 

Sarah grumbled and pulled him closer. “Too early, go to sleep.” Then she rolled over and nuzzled his chest. He felt her eyelashes brush his skin as she opened her eyes. “You’re scared. Why are you scared?”

 

Mac rubbed her back.  **“I’m just worried you will leave me here when you go.”**

 

“Where am I going?” Sarah tipped her head up to look at him.

 

Mac shrugged.  **“I don’t think you will want to stay with us.”**

 

Sarah reached up and scratched Mac’s cheek. “I like spending time with you, all of you, when sex isn’t on the table. I just don’t understand how I fit into the pack. I’m starting understand that might be because the pack isn’t really a family, but more a collection of individuals. Nathan said it would be easier to think of you as a family and work up to the idea of pack. I don’t know how to do that when you don’t even think of yourselves that way.”

 

Mac sighed,  **“So, build us into your own pack. Ignore what was here before you arrived and just tell us what you need so that you can stay.”**

 

“Just like that?”

 

Mac nuzzled the top of her head and licked her ear. She giggled and squirmed away. Molly took this as a sign that they were up and eagerly joined in on the ‘lick Sarah’ game that Mac was playing. She started licking Sarah’s hands while Mac was licking Sarah’s neck. Sarah pulled her hands away and started tickling Mac. Molly was barking and bouncing on the bed.

 

Marv burst into the room and saw combat form Mac pinning Sarah to the mattress, he started to growl.

 

“Get out!” Sarah yelled. “And for fuck’s sake, knock first!”

 

Marv stared at her, then blushed. “Uh… sorry!”

 

“God! I miss having a door that locks!” She pushed Mac off of her and climbed out of bed. As Marv turned to leave, Sarah said. “Can you take Molly out to pee and get her breakfast?”

 

“Uh… sure.”

 

“Thank you. We’ll be down in a while.” She headed to the bathroom.

 

Marv looked at Mac and pointedly sniffed. Mac just shrugged. There wasn’t anything to say. No, he wasn’t having sex with Sarah. No, he wasn’t bothered by that. Much. No one in the pack was crass enough to comment on him spending extra time licking himself when Sarah wasn’t around to notice.

 

He heard the shower start up. Marv left. Mac changed as he walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Sarah was still using the sink. She finished and tested the water in the shower, jerking her hand out when it was still too cold. She watched Mac brush his teeth.

 

“Can I touch you?” Sarah asked, making Mac choke on his toothpaste. “Sorry.”

 

He finished up before he nodded. She reached up and ran her hand over his scalp. “Yeah, I’ll shave while you’re in the shower.”

 

“I don’t know, I kind of like the stubble. Why to you keep shaving it?”

 

“It grows in funny around the scars. Easier to just keep it shaved.”

 

Sarah turned off the shower and gave him a pointed look.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

She was watching his face. “I just realized something.” Mac waited for her to continue. “I don’t want to be the aggressor in this relationship. I don’t want you to be all respectful and ‘court’ me. I want to be dated and seduced.”

 

“Umm… OK?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Now?” Mac asked self consciously.

 

Sarah shrugged and looked away. “There is an uneven power balance. I want to know, NEED to know that you actually want me. That you aren’t just sleeping in my bed because I’m the Yennork and I said so.”

 

Mac watched her carefully as he replied. “No. I am sleeping in your bed because I want you to be safe and happy and the last few nights, you haven’t felt either of those things.”

 

“No. I guess I haven’t.”

 

“I’m no expert, but I think you need those things first. Sex has to be second. I need to know you aren’t just fucking me because you are scared of Marv.” There. He said it.

 

“I’m not scared of Marv!” Mac just raised an eyebrow. “It’s more complicated than that.” Sarah mumbled.

 

“Yeah. It is.” Mac kept watching her. “Sarah? Can I take you dancing tonight?”

 

“Tuesday night might be better for bookstore and coffee, but yeah, I would like to spend some time with you. Away from here. Maybe we could just … I don’t even know. Go out to dinner after work?”

 

“I would like that. Come back to bed, it’s still early. I can leave if you want.”

 

She stepped up close and put her hands on his hips. “I really liked the tickle fight before Marv burst in. I have fun with you, Mac. I need that. No one else just gets goofy with me.”

 

“Really?” Sarah nodded. Mac dropped to his knee and hugged her around her middle, then tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to bed. Sarah laughed and started scratching his back. “Uh - a little to your left.” She moved her hands and found that perfect spot where you can never quite reach on yourself. Mac groaned with pleasure.  He ended up pinning her to the bed and rubbing her back until she fell asleep.

 

\----

 

Sarah once again ignored Marv at breakfast, but she was still letting him seat her, so that was something.  As she was serving herself toast and eggs she asked, “Who’s on dinner duty tonight?”

 

Gus hesitantly looked up, “Something you are craving?”

 

Sarah shrugged.  “Mac and I are going on a date tonight.  We won’t be home for supper.”

 

Marv opened his mouth to say something.  Sarah looked at him.  He closed it.

 

Work was still awkward.  Sarah put in the weeks part order and spent some time talking maintenance with one of the locals.  He was from the carburetor era and she was trying to explain that maintenance on fuel injectors is different.  She wasn’t sure if he was just not getting it, or if he needed the person explaining to have testicles.  She waved at Gus.  He came over and spun some bullshit about the man’s car’s flex capacitors needing re-calibration. The client immediately agreed.  Sarah exchanged  **_A Look_ ** with Gus.  Sean suddenly developed an unexplained cough.

 

She clocked out promptly at 4:30 and went back to the house to get cleaned up.  Hair, make-up, a black pencil skirt, the whole nine yards.  She looked in the mirror.  OK, so the victory rolls and bright red lipstick weren’t quite the right era for Mac, but she added a pair of  [ ripped looking tights ](https://www.luulla.com/product/64633/sexy-punk-stripes-style-leggings) and combat boots and called it close enough.  She considered herself in the mirror and added a  [ black leather underbust corset ](https://www.orchardcorset.com/products/steel-boned-underbust-corset-in-leather-cs-305) over the white dress shirt.  It would do.  The skirt would also give her an excuse to take her car instead of his bike.

 

She was just coming down the staircase as the boys got home at quarter to six.

 

“Holy Fuck!” Gus exclaimed.  Marv made a weird little whine in the back of his throat. Sean and Craig just stared.  Mac grinned up at her.

 

“We are taking my car,” she informed him.  “Go make yourself pretty. I’ll wait.”

 

Mac sprinted up the stairs.

 

“Take the truck,” Marv and Gus said in perfect stereo.

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes at them, but didn’t say anything.

 

Mac came running down the stairs, still damp from the shower only a few minutes later.  Sarah was playing with her phone.  Craig was standing in her blind spot, checking out her ass. Gus was sitting on the bench near the door, leaning forward to take off his boots.  This meant his nose was at crotch sniffing height, albeit a couple of feet away from her.  Sean was leaning on the wall across the hall from her not even pretending not to stare.  Marv was trying to talk her into taking the truck.  She was ignoring all of them.

 

As she noticed Mac, she looked up and smiled.   He was wearing a black shirt and black pants.  “You look nice,” she said.  

 

Mac grinned.  “You look amazing!” he replied with so much enthusiasm that Sarah blush a little and looked down.

 

That was when she noticed Gus and frowned. “Don’t wait up,” she announced as she turned to the door.  Mac stomped on his boots and hurried to hold the door for her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out this picture Wizasterous made for me! 
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/tlNar


	26. The Date

####  Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:47pm

They didn’t quite close down the arcade Mac had taken Sarah to, but they stayed to last call before walking out to the car.  Mac turned to Sarah, “Hey, wanna go get ice cream?”

 

She laughed, “If you want.  It’s been almost three hours since we finished supper.”  She was walking backwards talking to him, which is why her first sign that something was wrong was his face.  She spun around to see five werewolves leaning on her car.  She narrowed her eyes.  “Hey!  Watch the paint job, will you!”

 

Four of them guiltily straightened up.  The last, was big and bald with a slight beer belly and one eye that was milky white.  The other was the colour of cognac amber.  It didn’t really match his coffee with cream complexion.  He  just leered at her.  “You aren’t supposed to be here,” he growled.

 

Sarah glared at him.  “I am treaty compliant.  Yennork are allowed to travel out of their pack’s territory for supplies that aren’t locally available AND they are allowed to bring an escort.”  She looped her arm through Mac’s, “He’s my escort.”

 

“We haven’t been introduced.”

 

Mac cleared his throat.  “Sarah, this is Robert.  He runs the local … club.”

 

Robert kept his eyes locked on Sarah’s, “You’re the bitch Sean made.”

 

Sarah took a step forward.  “Get off of my car.”  It wasn’t a shout, it was deadly quiet.

 

Robert grinned.  “Or what?”

 

Sarah looked down and thought about that for a few minutes.  Then she looked up at Mac and around the street and back at the pack. “Is he a good alpha?  One you want to keep, I mean?”

 

“What do you mean by that?” Robert demanded.

 

Sarah looked back at him.  “You, sir, are preventing me from returning to my pack.  That is a clear violation of section-”

 

Robert straightened up, “Whoa!  Easy there! We just want to meet you, is all.”

 

“By calling me names and scuffing my paint job? Not the best first impression.”

 

“This isn’t your first ‘supply run.’  We’ve caught your scent before and you didn’t stop by to introduce yourself that time either.”

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes, “Well, now you are just sulking.”  She scanned the pack again, she only saw one pack member with the same facial scars as Mac and Gus.  “I thought there were two of you.”  The whole pack smelled like grampa cologne, and if she concentrated… “You sent half your pack to flank me?”

 

Robert grinned. “Better protection than you get from Marv, right?”

 

Mac knew how this was going to go.  He stepped up right behind her and put his hand on Sarah’s hip, nuzzling her neck. “He’s ex-military.  He isn’t going to understand and you aren’t going to have the patience to explain to him tonight.”

 

Without taking her eyes off Robert, she reached up and caressed Mac’s cheek.  “I’m leaving.  I’m taking my pack mate with me-”

 

“ _ Pack _ mate,” Robert snorted, “you haven’t even-”

 

Sarah punched him.  “You do NOT get to comment on my relationship!”  Then she swore and shook her hand.

 

Everyone looked at her in horror.

 

There was a long moment of silence.  Sarah reached past Robert for the driver’s side door with her left hand.  Mac stepped in and held the door for her.

 

“Thank you, Mac.”

 

“You broke your hand.” Robert said flatly.

 

“Not your concern.” Sarah said firmly.

 

“Bellmont doesn’t have a doctor,” one of the others piped up.  “You need to-”

 

“You don’t get to tell me what I need to do.”  Sarah said angrily.  “This all started because you didn’t want me in your territory.  Well, congratulations, I’m leaving. Now piss off.”

 

Robert turned on Mac who was getting into the other side of the car, “Take her to the emergency room.”

 

Mac shrugged.  “Her body, her call.  But if you don’t move those bikes you’ve got parked behind her, I can’t promise she will let you fence her in.”

 

The local pack saddled up and rode off.

 

Sarah still hadn’t started her car.

 

Mac waited patiently.

 

“I’m not going to be able to drive stick with a broken hand.”

 

Mac nodded.  “I could call Sean to bring the tow truck.”

 

Sarah sat there for a long moment without saying anything.

 

Mac just waited.

 

Sarah kept not saying anything.

 

Mac kept waiting.

 

“Fine!  God damn it!  You can drive Baby.”

 

Mac was startled by that.  Sarah glared at him.  “I’ll be really careful, sweetie.”

 

Sarah snorted.  “The car’s name is Baby.”

 

“Oh!  Uh… sorry about that.”  Mac replied. Sarah shrugged.  She hadn’t made any move to get out of the driver’s seat.  “Can I…. Um…. What’s the verdict on the hospital, boss?”

 

Sarah gritted her teeth.  “Fine.”

 

\----

 

####  Wednesday, November 8th, 2017 1:03am 

*ring*   *ring*

 

“Hello?”

 

“Why are you in the hospital?”

 

“Oh!  Hi, Nathan!  I was going to call you!”

 

“I bet you were, why are you in the hospital?”

 

“Yeah,  I don’t actually know many Loopers and I wanted to invite you and Nicole for Thanksgiving dinner.”

 

“Why are - wait, what?”

 

“I was thinking about what you said about family and I was hoping you and Nicole and your pack could come…. If you don’t already have plans, I mean.”

 

*silence*

 

“No, we don’t have …  Stop trying to change the subject, Sarah!  Why are you  _ in _ the  _ FUCKING _ hospital?”

 

“Did Robert call you?”

 

“No!  Why would Robert call me?  What did Marv do?”

 

“ _ Nothing! _ This has nothing to do with Marv!”

 

“Sarah!”

 

“I have a  [ boxer’s fracture ](https://www.handandwristinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/diagnosis1.jpg) .”

 

“What?  Why?”

 

“Because I hit someone.”

 

“Again, why?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

“I have time.”

 

“How did you know I was in the hospital?”

 

“I’m your insurance provider.  They called to authorize the visit.  Don’t let them talk you into surgery, by the way.  Just have them freeze it and pull it straight.  It will heal in a couple of days.  Now, who did you hit and why?”

 

“If you come for dinner, I can explain in person.”

 

Nathan laughed.  “Are you serious?”

 

“Sure! Do you have any idea how big the house is?  It’s massive!  They hardly use any of it!”

 

*silence*

 

“ _ They _ hardly use any of it?  Sounds like you aren’t settling in so well.”

 

*silence*

 

“Oh, look the doctor is here, I have to go, bye!”

 

*click*

 

Sarah groaned.  Her phone started to ring again.  She put it on do not disturb.

####  5:32am 

Sarah woke up as the car pulled into the driveway at the house.  “Mac?  I don’t want to talk about this with the rest of the pack, OK?”

 

Mac gritted his teeth.  “It isn’t a secret you should keep.”

 

“Yeah, but I hit him and I don’t want to start a gang war or anything.” Mac didn’t look convinced.  “Look,  I’ll tell Marv, I just need some time to work up to it, OK?”

 

Mac nodded.  He handed her Baby’s keys and ran around to the passengers side to open the car door.  They walked up the steps to the door.  Sarah put her hand on Mac’s arm, “I had a really great time tonight….  Well, until… any way.”  She took a deep breath, “Thank you, Mac.”  Mac nodded.  “Can I kiss you good night?”

 

Mac looked down at her and leaned forward.

 

It was easily the best kiss he had in the last forty years.

 

Until the door opened and Marv glared at them.  Sarah groaned.   “Oh, hi dad!  Here to keep me from-”

 

“What happened to your hand?”  He was surprised and worried.  Sarah realized that Nathan hadn’t called him.

 

“Rowdy meter maid,” she replied.

 

Mac laughed.

 

“I’m fine.  I’m tired.  Mac is going to help me get cleaned up.  I think I need to call in sick tomorr- today.  Sorry, boss.”

 

Marv nodded carefully.  “Need Mac to stay with you today, or should I be taking him out back to beat the truth out of him?”

 

Sarah grinned.  “Nah.  I think I’ll keep him.”

 

“Fine.  Need breakfast?”

 

Mac stomach grumbled. “Yes please.”  It came straight from his belly without his brain actually engaging.  Then he blinked and felt embarrassed.

 

Sarah laughed, Mac joined in.  It was good.

 

\----

 

Mac watched Sarah sitting at her vanity, trying to take her makeup off with her left hand.  She was making little noises of frustration.  “Here, let me,” he said, kneeling in front of her.  She handed him a facial wipe and sighed with resignation.  Mac cupped her chin and carefully wiped her eyes, then he refolded the wipes and wiped her mouth.  “There you are,” he said like he had just found her.  She smiled a little.  He reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair. “Craig said you liked having him wash your hair in the hospital. Can I try?”

 

Sarah blushed a little but nodded.  “Uh, I’m going to need help getting out of my corset and boots.”

 

Mac swallowed, his eyes darkening.  Sarah turned around on her chair and he was faced with a tangle of laces.  He cleared his throat.  “I’m, um, not actually sure how this works.”

 

Sarah laughed.  “Untie the bow in the middle, then loosen the laces so I can open the busk in the front.

 

It was definitely a two hands jobs, but eventually, Mac got the laces loosened.  Sarah fumbled with the front, so he helped with that too. As the corset fell away, she sighed and scratched her sides.  Mac knelt to remove her boots. Once they were off, Sarah stood up and unzipped her skirt.  Mac ran to the bathroom turn on the hot water.  He was back in time to watch her wiggle out of the skirt.

 

He sighed.

 

She looked over her shoulder at him.

 

“ **Want you.** ” He said quietly.

 

Sarah nodded.  He was on her in an instant, kissing her lips, hands fumbling with the buttons on her shirt, licking her neck and chest as he peeled her out of her clothes.  He fell to his knees and licked her navel and he pulled down the tights for her to step of them. 

 

Then he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.

 

“Wha?” she gasped.

 

“It took me awhile to understand, what you meant when you said you wanted me to seduce you.  But I think I do.”  He lowered her gently into the bathtub.  “It doesn’t have anything to do with being submissive.  You want to know that I desire you.  That I care for you.  So I will. I am going to wash your hair and massage your scalp, then I am going to take you back to bed and rub your back.”

 

Sarah looked at him.  She could smell his lust.  He was offering her this anyway.  She nodded and ducked her head under the bath water for a moment.  Mac’s hands were careful as he shampooed her hair.  His used the suds to massage her shoulders before she rinsed.  He wasn’t expecting the conditioner, but he rallied quickly.  

 

Once she was done with her bath, Sarah pulled the plug with her toes and stood up.  Mac wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed.  He toweled off her hair and brushed out the tangles. “Do you have a hair tie?” he asked.  Sarah pointed wordlessly to one of the jars on her vanity.  There were a collection of elastics.  Mac chose two and went back to the bed.  It had been a while, but he mostly remembered how to do this.  Two braids.  They weren’t as tidy as he would have liked, but she was looking at him in wonder.  He cleared his throat.  “I had a baby sister.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 of Looper Sex picks up IMMEDIATELY after this.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/13187802/chapters/30758046


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah/Mac just happened in Looper Sex. This chapter deals with post coital fluids, but not actual sex. I was planning on having it in the rated E work, but it is plot heavy and porn light.
> 
> Also thank you to Wizasterous for the read through. Check them out on Imgur as Churchthealpha. [Especially this one](https://imgur.com/gallery/naoz1) which came about after a miscommunication about Saxx underwear.

Mac isn’t sure how much time he lost, but he woke to her nuzzling his neck still on top of him.  “You promised post coital cuddles,” she teased.

 

“So I did,” he mumbled as he started to rub her back.  “You OK?”  He felt rather than saw her nod against his chest.  She inch wormed up his body to kiss his mouth, leaving a sticky trail on his abdomen.  Still not opening his eyes, he reached down below her and wiped at it, then absentmindedly sucked his fingers clean.  She made a little gasp. Now he opened his eyes.  “Still OK?” he asked worriedly.

 

She sat up and gushed a little more on him.  “Sorry,” she mumbled and went to slide off of him.

 

Mac whined and caught her hips for a moment before he could stop himself.  She immediately froze, he dropped his hands by his sides.  “I shouldn’t have done that.  You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”

 

“I’m making a mess.”

 

“I helped.” It came out sounding deeply affronted.  

 

She laughed. “Yeah. You did.” She leaned forward and nipped at his lips.  “Marv was listening at the door,” she grumbled.

 

Mac yawned, “Not just Marv.”

 

“How many do you think?”

 

He shrugged.  “All of them.  What if you needed help?”

 

Sarah laughed.  “What if you needed help?”

 

“Yeah?”  He was pretty sure she hadn’t meant it like that but the idea of his pack helping make her cum, holding her tight and licking her afterwards was enough to make his heartbeat speed up.  His face was doing something to make her startled.  He tried to stop it.

 

“Your eyes got all dark there.” She mused.  Mac shrugged. “Do I want to know?” she asked.

 

“Thinking about how much Gus would like to be here, right now, licking you clean.”

 

Sarah snorted, “Not sure Gus would be that enthusiastic about licking your spunk off my thighs.”

 

There was a coughing fit from out in the hallway.  Then Craig called out, “Wanna bet?”

 

Sarah groaned and hid her face in Mac’s neck.  It felt warmer than the rest of her.  Mac rubbed her back, “You are making her uncomfortable, Craig!” he shouted in reply.

 

There was a long moment of silence.  Then:

 

“Sorry, Sarah!”

 

Now she started laughing.  She realized something and started to laugh harder.

 

“What?” Mac asked.

 

“It only spurts when I laugh.”

 

Mac joined in.  So did the unseen audience in the hallway, but they were at least trying to be quiet about it.

 

She once again, started to ease herself off of Mac, wincing slightly as she did.  The puddle on his belly button was streaked with pink and her body felt a little … raw.  She wanted to go get cleaned up, but her legs were still shaking a little.  It wasn’t nearly as graceful as she would have liked as she flopped over next to Mac.

 

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, feeling worried.

 

She shook her head.  “I’ll a little… out of practice.”  She thought for a moment, then said quietly, “Do you think the peanut gallery could bring in some warm wash clothes and something to drink?”  When she looked over at Mac, he was licking his fingers again.  She frowned.

 

“What?  Tastes different after you change. You are delicious.”

 

Sarah wiped a careful finger over Mac’s washboard abs and tasted it carefully.  It wasn’t bad, but - “All yours, dude.  Unless you want to share with Gus,” she joked.

 

“Oy!  Gus!  You gotta taste this!”

 

Sarah covered her face with her hands, then pulled the pillow over her head as Gus came in.  She didn’t see that he froze as soon as she did.  “Sarah?”  Gus said quietly, “You need me to leave, lass?”

 

She peeked out from under the pillow at him.  “I’m not entirely used the idea that privacy is a thing of the past, yet.”  Gus looked so disappointed that she blushed.  “OK, fine.”  The smile dawning on his face was like watching the sun rise.  Still, she was nervous about this, so he snuck up on Mac’s side of the bed and licked Mac’s belly.  He groaned with pleasure then kissed Mac full on the lips.  Mac sat up a little and cupped the back of Gus’ head and opened his mouth into the kiss.

 

Sarah made a little subvocal whine.  They both turned to look at her.  Mac’s stomach growled.  He cleared his throat.  “If you let Gus take over with the post coital cuddles, I could go get wash clothes and snacks.”  She closed her eyes and lay back, facing the ceiling, blushing about as hard as she possibly could.  For a long moment, no one moved.  

 

Then she nodded.  Mac kissed her temple then climbed out of bed.  Gus stripped on his jeans, they fell to the floor with a crash, helped by a back pocket full of keys and his  [ belt buckle ](https://www.etsy.com/listing/74137460/925-solid-sterling-silver-celtic-dog?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share) .  He slid into Mac’s spot.  Sarah looked at him for a moment, then awkwardly lay her head on his shoulder.  

 

Gus put his arm around her.  “Don’t you worry, I’ll keep you warm ‘til he gets back.”

 

“I’m sure you will,” Sarah said wryly.

 

Gus ran his hand lightly over Sarah’s back, tracing patterns only he could see.  It felt… nice.  She found herself closing her eyes and just relaxing in to it.  She wrapped her arm across his chest and pressed her palm over his heart.  After a moment, she made a little grunt in frustration and snaked her hand under his t-shirt to the same position against his skin. 

 

Gus was pretty sure his heart rate jumped at the contact.

 

“Is this OK?” she asked.

 

Gus licked his lips and tried to think of what to say, but there was a lump in his throat so he had to settle for just nodding.  She looked up at him.  “Are you OK?”   
  


Gus cleared his throat. “Just happy to be here,” was all he could think to say.

 

Sarah considered this in silence for a moment, then hugged him a little tighter, snuggled in a little closer and said, “Me too.”  She thought for a moment.  “I… I think maybe I might love him, Gus.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah… I mean… maybe…  I enjoy him.  We have fun together.  He took me to a pub and bought me a burger and Guinness, then we went to an arcade and he taught me how to play pinball.  It was the best date I’ve been on….  Well, until I broke my hand.”

 

“How’s that feeling?”

 

“Surprisingly good.”

 

“If you tell me what happened, we won’t have to grill the kid over it.”

 

“No.  And you leave him alone. I asked him not to tell you, don’t go making that hard on him.”

 

Gus tensed.  He knew he either needed to drop this, or it would start a fight that would get him kicked out of bed. There was a big conflict between never wanting to leave her side again, ever, and wanting to know who had hurt her so he could track them down and rip out their spleen.  Mind you, technically, the spleen ripping was Marv’s job.  Gus relaxed.  “OK.”

 

“OK?” Sarah asked in disbelief.

 

“Yeah.  OK.  If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s OK.  If you change your mind about that later, that’s OK too.”

 

“Huh,”  Sarah said thoughtfully.  “Thank you, Gus.”

 

“You’re welcome.”  He rubbed her back some more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make the writing go.


	28. Consequences

#### Wednesday, November 8th, 2017

Marv hadn’t opened the shop that day. He sent Sean down to hang a sign: Closed - Gone Fishing. He usually saved that for when they were hunting in the woods. If he mentioned a family emergency, well, the town was small enough that everyone would be calling to find out what happened.

 

He didn’t know what happened.

 

Mac wasn’t talking. Robert wasn’t answering his calls. Marv thought that must mean whatever had happened, it was on the other pack’s turf and they were taking care of it. Still, it was upsetting that he was being left out of the loop. Sarah hadn’t been up to eating much breakfast, but Mac had certainly packed it away. She wasn’t afraid of the boy, so that was a good sign.

 

Marv finished putting together a plate of sandwiches and some apple slices and carrot slices. Girl had a thing for toasted pumpernickel, goat cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches. Which still wasn’t as weird as her not liking bacon. Didn’t matter what he thought of the snack, though, it only mattered if she would eat it. He thought for a moment, then made Mac a PB&J on white sandwich slice as well. He was on his way to the stairs when Mac streaked past him going the other way. Marv turned for follow him.

 

“What are you doing, boy?”

 

“Gonna get some warm water and some wash clothes. Was gonna get her a snack too, but looks like you got that covered.”

 

“You left her alone up there?”

 

“Nah, swapped in Gus. She’s good.” Marv just grunted at that. Mac had put the kettle on. “Send down Craig, will ya? He can make tea.”

 

“Gus should be making tea, he’s better at it.”

 

Mac shrugged, “She likes that herbal crap. It tastes like ditchwater no matter what. He can’t mess that up.”

 

Marv grumbled and headed up stairs. He got to the doors and froze. Marv looked at Craig, “Can you go help Mac in the kitchen?” Craig nodded and left. Marv listened at the doors for a moment. There didn’t seem to be anything exciting going on in there. He cleared his throat. “Uh… Sarah? I brought you a sandwich. Can I come in?”

 

Sarah called out, “Sure! Thanks for asking first!” Gus laughed. Sean helped Marv open the door. When Marv opened the door, Sarah was sitting up in bed smelling like Mac but wearing Gus’ shirt. He fought back the instinct that she should be his not theirs. Marv knew that wasn’t how this worked. He had some making up to do.

 

He handed her the sandwich and hoped it would be an OK place to start.

 

“Thank you.” Sarah said. “What time is it?” she asked, taking a bite. She made a happy little moan around her mouthful then used a finger to scoop up the jam that ran down her chin. She chewed for a moment then swallowed and sucked the jam off her finger.

 

Marv swallowed.

 

Gus grinned at him, “About eleven.”

 

“Mmmm… This is delicious! Thank you Marv.”

 

Marv had to swallow again before he could answer. “You’re welcome.”

 

Craig came in with a tea tray and set it over Sarah’s lap, then he moved the teapot to the drop leaf table that hadn’t made it out of her room yet. He poured cups of tea for everyone. Sarah grinned at him. “I could get used to breakfast in bed.”

 

Craig laughed, “Don’t go making a habit of breaking bones just to get me to make you tea, OK?”

 

“Turn up with tea more often and I won’t have to.” Sarah teased.

 

Marv cleared his throat. “How’d you end up with a broken hand, anyway?”

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes. “That’s my problem.”

 

“NO.” Marv was loud, but projecting frustration but not anger. “No. You are part of my pack, it’s MY problem.”

 

“I dealt with it. It won’t happen again.”

 

Mac snorted from the doorway. He was holding a bowl of ice cream. “We missed dessert.”

 

Sarah smiled lazily at him. “So we did.”

 

Gus took that as his queue to leave. He and Craig didn’t quite drag Marv out, but it was close.

 

\----

 

Despite being a short day in the shop, it had been a long day. Marv was in a bad mood and everyone’s thoughts kept straying to what Sarah and Mac might be doing in the house. While the rest of the boys were coping by spending a little extra time in the bathroom with the magazines they had hidden under the sink, Marv was just increasingly grumpy. When the shop finally closed at six, he pretty much stomped all the way back to the house.

 

Gus put his hand on his alpha’s arm on the threshold. “Marv, you gotta get it together. You can’t go scaring her off now.”

 

Marv pushed Gus off and headed into the house.

 

Which smelled amazing. They found Sarah and Mac laughing and [ making pizza ](http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/10/pizza-cherry-tomatoes-garlic-mozzarella-recipe.html) in the kitchen.  Sarah grinned at the pack when they came in.  “I have found new recipes to test out on you!”

 

Craig smiled back at her, “Smells good!”

 

“Yeah!  I don’t know if it will work, but the recipe has really good explanations.  Um…  I had to buy a blender to make the sauce.”

 

The pizzas had just started going into the oven when Sarah’s phone starting ringing upstairs.  She ignored it.  Moments later Marv’s phone started to ring.  “Hel-” he didn’t even make it to the end of the word when the person on the other end cut him off.  Sarah watched his end of the conversation, he was clearly very upset.

 

“No, I don’t know exac-”

 

“She’ll tell me when she’s-”

 

“No!  I did not insist that-”

 

The last pause went on for a very long time, then “Yes, sir.”  Marv held the phone away from his ear and sighed.  Then he offered it to Sarah.

 

She took it hesitantly.  “Hello?”

 

“I have one question and I need a straight yes or no answer.”  It was Nathan.  He was pissed, all the usual flirtiness gone from his voice. “I know what happened to your hand.  Do you want the people responsible killed?”

 

“What?  NO!”

 

*click*

 

Sarah stared at the phone.  “What the hell was that?”

 

“We take the treaty very seriously.” Marv said quietly.  Sarah looked at him and nodded.  “Am I in trouble?”

 

“No.”  Marv said forcing himself to be calm.  “Nathan is coming for supper.  He is bringing Robert and his pack and Robin.”

 

Everyone tensed.  Sarah asked, “Is Nicole coming?”

 

Marv shook his head.

 

“Who’s Robin?”

 

The boys all looked at their feet.  Marv answered.  “Robin is Nathan’s attack lawyer.  He organizes pack finances.”  Marv hesitated.  “Mostly they just let these thing play out, but when a pack becomes dangerous, Robin helps untangle the legal aspect of breaking up a pack and redistributing the members.”

 

“Oh.  So…. are we going to get some people from Robert’s pack?”

 

They all looked at her.  Mac reached out and touched her fingers.  “No, Sarah.  They will likely see if they need to relocate you away from us.”

 

The buzzer on the oven went off at that point.  Everyone jumped.

 

Supper was eaten in silence.

 

That night, Sarah crept into the parlour shortly after midnight and spooned up behind Mac.  She buried her face in his shoulder and cried softly.

 

 


	29. Thrown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of Part One

Mac felt Sarah curl up behind him. He half shifted and rolled over to be the big spoon. Sarah didn’t roll over but pressed her face into his chest. Mac stroked her hair and her back. 

 

Gus came over full shifted back to human and trailed little kisses up her back bone. “It’s OK. We got you. It will be OK.”

 

“I don’t want Nathan to move me somewhere else. If I move… I don’t want to have to start over with a new group of people.  It was hard enough get used to you.  I …  I only just got Marv trained not to barge in on me - ” someone snorted at that,  “I don’t want to have to start figuring out a new pack.”

 

Gus was still running his hands up and down her sides.  “We don’t want you to leave either.  Nathan won’t make you go if you don’t want to, but…”  he hesitated for a moment, then just said it, “Nathan might be right.  Maybe we aren’t the best fit for you.  You aren’t really happy here.”

 

Sarah thought about that. “It’s getting better though.”

 

Marv changed and cleared his throat.  “It’s been two months.  You should - We should have been able to help you settle by now.”

 

“I am settled.”

 

“Sarah -” Marv wasn’t sure how to put this next bit. 

 

Craig, however, was.  “No baby girl, you aren’t settled.  You have settled.  Settled for less than you could be to stay here.  You were supposed to be in university right now, getting ready for finals.  Not answering phones in some back water garage.”

 

Sarah felt a little betrayed by that.  “I like working in the garage!”  She hesitated for a moment.  Then stopped talking as her mind spiralled in on itself.

 

Mac full shifted back to human.  “Sarah?  What aren’t you saying?”  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.  “Please?  I can’t help - I can’t understand if you don’t talk to me.”

 

Sarah sighed.  “This isn’t about me, is it?  I mean, I’m not exactly the kind of woman -  _ lady _ \- that Marv wanted.  Sean can hardly look at me half the time.  It isn’t about me not liking the pack, is it?  Maybe I’m not a good fit for you.  I just... I didn’t expect Craig to be the one to encourage me to leave.”

 

“I’m not encouraging you to leave!”

 

“Really?  But that was a very kind way of saying, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on your way out’.”

 

Marv interjected at that point.  “You might not have been the lady I was expecting, but you turned out to be the kind of woman I need.  You somehow managed to find the right balance between putting up with my shit and pushing me to change at the same time.  My manners are out of date, but I’m tryin’.”

 

Sean cleared his throat from where he was curled up in the corner.   “ **I’m still upset that I almost got you killed.  You had a life and you had to walk away from all of that. I wrecked your future.** ”

 

Sarah sat up and looked at him.  “It doesn’t work that way.  If you hadn’t stopped to pick me up, I could have been smoked by a truck that didn’t see me in the blinding rain.  I could have been taken out by lightning, holding a tire iron out in that storm.  I could have been killed in an on campus mugging my second week in.  We never know what could have happened.  There is nothing to be gained by dwelling on that.  The only thing anyone can do is try to work with the situation they are in now.”  She realized they were all staring at her.  “Yeah… years of therapy after my parents’ divorce. I am very aware of what I can and cannot control.  If I was angry at Sean for me getting infected, I could have asked Nicole to move me when I left the hospital.”

 

“Sarah?”  Marv asked, “What happened to your hand?”

 

She looked down at it and made a fist before opening it again.  It felt nearly back to normal.  It was impressive.  “I… uh… I hit someone,” she said softly.

 

The whole pack chuckled.  “Yeah, we figured that.  Who and why?” Marv pressed on.

 

“Um.. there was a pack of bikers leaning on my car and I um…  yeah…”

 

Marv’s eyebrows went up. “You took on a biker gang?” he demanded, radiating disbelief.

 

“No! Sort of… just one…. ish.”

 

“Robert was sore she didn’t come for a visit.  She told him to leave her alone, but when she realized he had us flanked, she socked him a good one.” Mac said with pride.

 

Everyone else just stared at her.

 

Sarah groaned, covered her face and flopped down on her back.  “I’m sorry.  That wasn’t appropriate and I should know better.  I honestly don’t know what came over me.  I’ve always been a little protective of my car, but ... it was completely irrational how angry I got that they were touching it. And then as soon as he started talking, he just kept making it worse!” she mumbled through her fingers.

 

Marv leaned back as he considered that.  “Would you say you felt territorial?”  Everyone stiffened.

 

Sarah just looked confused, “Yeah, but you say that like you mean something else.”

 

Marv thought about how to explain.  Craig just jumped in, “We get very protective of our territories.  We always get Robert’s permission to come onto his turf.  If your territory isn’t this house… if it’s your car, then his touching it would be an alpha challenge.”

 

Mac gasped, “You did say you would piss on the tires if that’s what it took for us to leave it alone.”

 

Marv shook his head.  “She let you drive it home.”

 

Someone started growling.  After a moment, Sarah realized it was her and forced herself to stop.  They were all staring at her.  She ducked her head.

 

Mac frowned, “That wasn’t easy for her.”

 

“I wasn’t defending the car.”

 

Craig cleared his throat. “Would you be prepared to say you were?  It would be something Nathan would understand.”

 

“If she can say it without lying,” Marv said.  “He would smell the lie.”

 

“I don’t think I can say that without lying.  I was mad about the car, but that wasn’t why I hit him.”

 

“Then why, Sarah?” Marv demanded.

 

She sat up and crossed her arms and gave Marv a sullen glare.  “I didn’t like how he was talking about you, OK?”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m mean, it wasn’t just  _ you  _ you. It was all of us!  He was so dismissive and disrespectful!  Of me, Sean, Mac, you!  And Baby!”

 

Craig made eye contact with Mac and mouthed, “baby?”  

 

Mac tried to be subtle in shaking his head.

 

Sarah noticed. “Yes!  He was RUDE and ...and rude and …  he just pissed me off.  Mac and I were having a nice time and he just wrecked it.”  Craig started to grin.  “What?” Sarah demanded.

 

Craig was beaming like an idiot now.  “You and Mac had a nice time eating together, then you beat up the guy who was rude to him, let him drive your car and brought him home and claimed him.  That sounds a hell of a lot like a successful alpha claim right there.”

 

Everyone looked thoughtful at that.  Sarah just felt confused.  “Alpha claim?”

 

Mac was staring at her, “You want me in your pack, Sarah?”

 

“What?  Why would you ask that?” She sounded completely offended.  “Of course I do!  I said I wanted to stay with this pack and I meant it.  Craig’s the one trying to get me to leave!”

 

“I’m not trying to get you to leave!”  Sarah frowned at him.  Craig sighed, “I just want you to be happy, baby girl, and I’m not sure we are doing a great job of that.”

 

Sarah reached out and stroked his cheek.  “We are all working together to figure it out.  Look, Nathan told me to think of this as an arranged marriage.  But it’s more like all my friends who ended up in blended families.  The siblings didn’t pick each other, but they have to figure it out because they are a family now.  We are all in this together.  And so far, no one has been a total asshole about it.  Marv is even letting go of his overprotective streak.  We are figuring it out!  Or at least I thought we were.”  Craig caught her hand and kissed her palm.  Sarah smiled at him.

 

“Sarah?”  Marv said quietly, “If you want to keep us, we will fight tooth and claw to make that happen.  We won’t let Nathan or Nicole or ANYONE throw you to the wolves.”

 

The end - for part 1  There will, of course be a part 2

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have Part 2 started. It will be a series of short stories about Sarah and one or two of the pack interacting at a time. There will be an over all story arch of getting ready to face Nathan at Thanksgiving. Chapters will be individually labeled as explicit or not.
> 
> Sneak Peek - will be removed in a day or two  
> Prologue
> 
> Something changed once everyone finally admitted the pack was what they wanted.  Marv still wanted to keep the pack between the outside world and where Sarah slept.  It became a lot easier for her to just invite one or two of them up to her room at night than to make Marv stand guard over her all night in the parlour.  It was different for each of them.
> 
>  
> 
> Chapter 1 Sarah/Sean
> 
> Sarah was driving.  Sean hadn’t even asked.  There were a couple of problems with that.  One, she was driving the tow truck and, two, she didn’t know where they were going.  Still, Sean seemed confident in his directions and Sarah … mostly trusted the GPS in her phone in case they got lost.  They had been on the road for over an hour at this point and Sarah was currently cracking up as Sean did his impersonations of the rest of the pack.
> 
>  
> 
> His accents were terrible and since most of the pack members had very distinct dialects, he would do conversational recaps that had her almost in tears from laughing so hard.  He was currently doing his impression of Marv, Gus and Mac discussing tea vs coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated


End file.
